How Novak Djokovic Inspired a Visually-Impaired Fan to Take Up Tennis

Published 12/01/2021, 10:30 AM EST

Novak Djokovic is one of the biggest names in the history of tennis. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is a living legend and has a whopping 86 ATP singles titles to his name.

The Serbian great is also the inspiration for millions of tennis fans. Furthermore, young players starting out in the sport look up to Djokovic as their idol. And recently, he inspired a blind woman to take up tennis.

Novak Djokovic inspired a blind woman to play tennis

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Novak Djokovic is known for his good heart. In a touching story shared by one of his fans, Vanessa Vlajkovic, she reveals how he inspired her to take up the sport herself.

Despite being deaf-blind, Vanessa has always been the most ardent fan of the Serb. Finally, she met Novak last year, fulfilling a lifelong dream for herself.

Vanessa’s life changed when she found blind tennis. She saw it as an opportunity to not only idolize Novak Djokovic but also come closer to emulating him.

“I Am in Awe of This”: Novak Djokovic Draws Inspiration From Paralympic Legend Ibrahim Hamadtou

How blind tennis changed my life and opened up a path I never knew existed
Vanessa Vlajkovic got to meet Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park — now she’s trying to emulate her hero playing blind and low-vision tennis. ❤️https://t.co/ZUm1PaZoZz via @ABCaustralia
— C Kristjánsdóttir ●🐊 (@CristinaNcl) November 30, 2021

Fast forward to six months of training, and Novak Djokovic’s visually-impaired fan is playing great tennis!

Ian Ketteringham, her coach for blind and low-vision tennis, revealed how Vanessa has been doing at tennis. “Ness continues to defy the restrictions I have mentally placed on what should and should not be possible.”

Djokovic is likely to miss the Australian Open next year

Novak Djokovic is the defending champion of the Australian Open. Additionally, he has also won the cup in Melbourne a record nine times. However, fans are in for bad news, as Djokovic will most probably miss the first Grand Slam of 2022.

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Owing to the travel restrictions on athletes in Australia, it is possible that Djokovic will not be going ‘down under.’ What remains to be seen is whether or not Djokovic will come out and make a definitive statement about his presence in Melbourne.

The entire tennis community, fans and players alike, sit with bated breath to know for sure whether The Serbinator will make his shot at finally surpassing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

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WATCH: Novak Djokovic Gets Ready to Ski After Victory at Davis Cup Finals 2021

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Written by:

Samarveer Singh is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. Holding a degree in English Literature and a diploma in Fitness Sciences and Training, Samarveer is obsessed with tennis and basketball. A collegiate athlete himself, he admires all sportspersons who put in the work in order to achieve excellence.

How Novak Djokovic Inspired a Visually-Impaired Fan to Take Up Tennis

Novak Djokovic inspired a blind woman to play tennis

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Djokovic is likely to miss the Australian Open next year