World number one Novak Djokovic, who is on cloud nine after clinching his 19th grand slam title at the French Open last week, has decided to play at a grass-court tournament before heading for Wimbledon.
Djokovic, along with top players like Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev will headline a strong player field at the inaugural Mallorca Championships, which starts from 19th of June. The tournament was supposed to be launched last year but got postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch this story: When Novak Djokovic called Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the GOAT
Along with top players, the tournament also got local talent in the form of Jamie Munar, Pablo Carreno Busta and other players like Karen Khachanov, Jan-Lennard Struff, etc.
Novak Djokovic practices with son Stefan ahead of Mallorca Championships
Ahead of the tournament, Novak Djokovic entered the venue to start his practice. The Serb, who will be the title favorite at this year’s Wimbledon, has hit some balls with his son, Stefan Djokovic.
After seeing the way Stefan was hitting his forehand, the Serb was quick to remind to his team that the forehand swing of his son was just like that of Rafael Nadal.
Ahaha, Nole saying his son Stefan is swinging his forehand Rafa-style. https://t.co/5EkTOECRcd
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 17, 2021
The duo, who is responsible for one of the best rivalries in the history of the sport, has produced high-quality matches over the year. Their recent semi-final encounter at Roland Garros went the way of Djokovic.
Even though the match wasn’t played at a highest level as their previous matches, it sure had enough drama and thrill to entertain a fully-packed Philippe-Chatrier crowd.
But, fans will have to wait a little longer for both these legends to meet again on a tennis court as Rafael Nadal announced his decision to skip Wimbledon as well as the Tokyo Olympics.
"Oh my God… grass! Feels good"
@DjokerNole | @atptour | #ATPMallorca pic.twitter.com/7ShULG1mKw
— Mallorca Championships (@MallorcaChamps) June 17, 2021
The tournament at Mallorca will be a valuable addition for players like Medvedev and Thiem as they don’t have an incredible record on grass courts yet. Coming to Djokovic, playing at an additional event will be an improvement to his chances at SW19.
With efforts to launch a Masters 1000 event on grass in discussion, young players will have a lot of opportunities to choose the tournaments they want to play on grass.
The post WATCH: Novak Djokovic’s Son Stefan Hits Rafael Nadal Like ‘Lasso’ Forehand in Rafa’s Hometown of Mallorca appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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