Watch: Novak Djokovic tries his hand at wheelchair tennis during Tel Aviv stay
Novak Djokovic took on a tough challenge by playing a bit of wheelchair tennis ahead of the 2022 Tel Aviv Open final. The Serbian tennis great played a few rallies with Israeli player Elay Chayot, gaining firsthand experience of the challenges of the format.
Let’s play with @DjokerNole at Tel Aviv Watergen Open 2022! 🎾
@atptour
#telavivopen #atptour #atptour #watergen https://t.co/2eZD8DQhcM
Djokovic took to Instagram to express his thoughts after playing alongside Chayot, who is a professional player in the wheelchair tennis discipline. Chayot guided the Serb and taught him some tricks of the trade before they played a few rallies.
"Great to play with you Elay!" Djokovic wrote in his Instagram stories.
This is not the first time Djokovic has tried his hand at wheelchair tennis. He has also played alongside Australian tennis great Dylan Alcott in the past during an exhibition event at the Australian Open.
A couple of years ago, he also interacted with wheelchair tennis star Gustavo Fernandez to learn more about the format. Back then, he took to social media to express his admiration for wheelchair tennis players and said that he found wheelchair tennis to be "super hard" each time he tried to play.
"Wheelchair tennis players are truly an inspiration for me. It’s amazing how they manage to execute the shots while constantly having one hand on the wheel," the Serb wrote in an Instagram post.
"I have tried several times to play wheelchair tennis and it’s super hard. Big admiration and respect to Gustavo and all the wheelchair tennis players," he added.
Novak Djokovic qualifies for ATP Finals 2022
Novak Djokovic has qualified for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals owing to his performance at the ongoing Tel Aviv Open. The 35-year-old is still 15th in the Race to Turin, well outside the top eight, which is the qualification cut-off for the year-ending tournament. However, a player who has won a Grand Slam during the season only needs to finish inside the top 20 to qualify for the ATP Finals, and the Serb won Wimbledon this year.
Djokovic has brushed aside wrist injury concerns to win all three matches in straight sets en route to the final in Tel Aviv. He defeated Pablo Andujar, Vasek Pospisil, and Roman Safiullin in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals respectively. He will face Marin Cilic in the final.