Novak Djokovic played cricket with the legendary Australian bowler Shane Warne’s son, Jackson Warne, on the eve of the Australian Open on Thursday as The Happy Slam is set to begin on January 14.
Djokovic, 36, was in a joyous mood before taking on Stefano Tsitsipas in an Australian Open charity match where he welcomed a number of Australian celebrities and shared some great moments with him.
Australia’s cricket star, Steve Smith, was also present and he ruthlessly smashed Djokovic into the stands after which the Serb asked to bat.
Jackson bowled to Djokovic, who failed to connect with the ball. To ease his discomfort with the bat, the Serb picked up the racket and hit the ball into the stands.
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Remember, Djokovic will begin his Australian Open 2024 campaign by playing against a qualifier or a lucky loser and if advances to the third round, he could meet with old rival Andy Murray should the Brit win his matches.
The Serb lost to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup where his six-year unbeaten streak in Australia was ended.
While Djokovic is the favourite to emerge victorious in Melbourne this month, he is expected to face tough competition from the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner.
It is worth mentioning that Djokovic dominated the 2023 season as he appeared in the final of all four Grand Slams Djokovic, and won three of them — Australian Open, French Open, and US Open — while he was handed a defeat by Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
After winning the ATP Finals after beating Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the final, Djokovic confirmed that he has no intention to stop and is now aiming for a “Golden Slam” — winning all major titles and a gold medal in the Olympics — for the next year.