WATCH: Novak Djokovic Emulates NBA Star Nikola Jokic During Serbia Open 2021

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is competing at the ATP Serbia Open 2021 in Belgrade. The Serbian ace is competing in his hometown after close to a decade. After winning his match on Wednesday, he has moved into the quarterfinal and will play against fellow Serbian tennis player, Miomir Kecmanovic.

Prior to the commencement of the tournament, Novak Djokovic was seen playing basketball. Given how he was playing, it was evident the Serb was not playing the game for the first time. He looked quite smooth with his dribbling and shot-making skills, and there were a couple of instances where his play caught the eye. 

Novak Djokovic showcases his basketball skills

First, Djokovic did a smooth 180-degree turn over his opponent and aimed for a sleek shot that went in the basket with ease. After doing that, he went towards the corner and celebrated by going down on one knee. Soon after, he did an alley-oop, clearly displaying his vast variety of basketball skills.

What’s commendable was that during the entire stint, he was seen wearing a mask and following the COVID-19 protocols. 

Djokovic commented, “Nothing but the net! Iso! Iso! Amazing. On fire. Luka Doncic against Nikola Jokic here.” 

Novak was referring to the two NBA superstars belonging to Slovenia and Serbia respectively, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Doncic represents the Dallas Mavericks and has featured in the NBA All-Star team on two occasions, in 2020 and 2021.

Nikola was voted the Best Serbian Player in 2018. He has also featured thrice in the NBA All-Star, from 2019 to 2021, and the 6 ft 11 inches player represents the Denver Nuggets. 

Djokovic won his 9th Australian Open title this year

Djokovic began his season in Australia and won his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open this year. After that, he was seen on the clay courts of Monte Carlo but suffered an early exit to British player Dan Evans. 

He is currently playing in Belgrade and is happy to be back playing in his hometown after a lengthy period. His next stop will be in Madrid for the second Masters 1000 event on clay. 

Also Read: “Don’t Know How Symbolic This Is”: Novak Djokovic Intrigued With a Special Gesture in Montenegro

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