Novak Djokovic entered Paris with his sight firmly set on the 25th Grand Slam. But it was not any opponent or an on-court incident that caught his attention before the tournament began. As he entered the complex, it was an old acquaintance who came knocking with another surprise for him.

Djokovic spotted Laura Layani, one of Paris’s finest artists, holding a picture of him and his daughter, Tara, as he was entering the premises in his car. The three-time Roland Garros champion was deeply touched by the painting and got out of the car to show his appreciation for the heartfelt gesture.

Djokovic was in awe of the French artist’s painting, expressing his gratitude and then admitting he still had Layani’s works at home, surprising the French artist. “We still have them, of course”, Djokovic was heard saying about Layani’s previous paintings, and the artist was overjoyed.

The picture was a vibrant, colorful depiction of Djokovic and his daughter, Tara, and aptly captured their emotions. Djokovic did not waste any time and packed the painting on the spot, much to the excitement of his children, Stefan and Tara, who were with him in the car.

Layani is a renowned artist in France, also working as an interior designer. She has painted portraits of several world-famous athletes and met Djokovic for the first time at Bercy during the 2021 Paris Masters. Since then he has been a huge fan of the Frenchwoman’s work, following it on social media.

Even though Djokovic is not a public art collector, he is known for his love of art, particularly for street artists. In 2020, when famous street artist Andrej Josifovski created a 24-meter portrait of Djokovic on a clay court at a tennis club in Belgrade. Later, when the artist created a mural for the 24-time Grand Slam winner in the city, Djokovic took his time, visited the artist, and had a detailed conversation with the artist.

Despite polarized public opinion, Djokovic’s private interactions with artists reveal his humility.

Novak Djokovic Has Had a Love-Hate Relationship With Fans

The Serb is widely appreciated for his achievements, as recently seen in Rome during the Italian Open, where a group of students gifted him with a commemorative photograph, and Djokovic clicked a picture with them, making their day.

Djokovic had a contentious relationship with the crowds during his Grand Slam matches as well. At the US Open, whenever he played Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer in a high-stakes semifinal or final, crowds favored Nadal and Federer over Djokovic to the point that they cheered when he committed a double fault. However, that dynamic switched during the 2021 final, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev, as the crowd cheered him on, giving him his due.

At Wimbledon, too, he had similar incidents, as in 2024. Djokovic played violin after his win as a tribute to his daughter Tara. However, the crowd mistook it for a mocking gesture from him, which he later clarified was not the case. In the 2019 final against Federer, Djokovic faced a partisan crowd once again, which he overcame to win an epic final.

Unlike his peers like Federer and Nadal, Djokovic has often been vocal about off-court topics, such as player compensation, quality of the Tours, his strong stance against the Covid vaccine, which has caused people to see him in a polarising spectrum, he opened up in a recent interview at the ongoing French Open about how he has dealt with various emotions as his actions have been misinterpreted over time by the public.

At the ongoing French Open, he was the subject of boos and jeers as he defeated two French players in the first and second rounds. His defeat of Giovanni Meptshi Perricard saw him make a gesture asking for respect after he was whistled throughout the game. In the second round against Valentin Royer, he was on the wrong end of the public’s loyalty. As he prepares to face Joao Fonseca, a Brazilian, in the third round, he will be hoping the Parisian crowd will be in his corner.