Watch: Novak Djokovic takes his kids to get autographs from Venus Williams during her Wimbledon appearance
Giving out autographs to fans is something Novak Djokovic has been quite used to over many years now. This time, however, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was on the other side as he himself got autographs from Venus Williams for his children.
In a lovely moment on the grounds of Wimbledon, the older Williams sister handed out autographs to Djokovic's children, Tara and Stefan, as the Serbian tennis great excitedly held his children's autograph books that Williams signed. He then asked his daughter Tara to thank the American player for the nice gesture.
Djokovic and his family got the opportunity to share a wonderful moment with Williams as the five-time Wimbledon singles champion decided to make a last-minute entry into the tournament. She is set to compete in the mixed doubles event with Jamie Murray after the duo requested a wildcard to play at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
Venus Williams had earlier mentioned that she would not follow her sister Serena Williams into making a comeback at the iconic grasscourt event. However, she was seen practicing at the Aorangi Park facility, leading to heavy speculation around her participation. Her comeback in the mixed doubles event was confirmed on Tuesday.
Williams last played an official match in 2021 at the Chicago Ladies' Open, losing to Su-Wei Hsieh. She then skipped the rest of the season due to a persistent leg injury and has also missed the first half of the ongoing season. There is a lot of excitement among fans of the sport after news of her comeback.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic began his bid for a fourth straight Wimbledon title on Monday with a four-set win over Soonwoo Kwon. In the process, the Serb became the first player in history to win at least 80 matches in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
"I will never forget what happened in 2011" - Novak Djokovic
Speaking after his first-round win at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Novak Djokovic reflected on his stellar success at the event. He expressed that winning Wimbledon was his 'childhood dream' and he vividly remembers the day in 2011 when he won his maiden title at the iconic event. The Serb is now a six-time champion at Wimbledon.
"I am delighted to be able to have these results. Wimbledon was my dream tournament as a kid. I will never forget what happened in 2011, when I fulfilled my childhood dream. It will always have a special place in my heart."
"Every time I jump on the track, I have that feeling. ... butterflies in my stomach, because of the importance it has in my career and in my life," he said.
The top seed will now face Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round on Wednesday. The Serb is on a 22-match winning streak at Wimbledon, with his previous loss coming back in 2017 to Tomas Berdych in the last eight.
By virtue of his appearance in the first-round match on Monday, he also became just the second male player after Roger Federer to compete in at least 90 matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments.