World No.1 Novak Djokovic let his emotions show in front of a full packed crowd at the Adria Tour charity event in his hometown on Sunday. The Serb couldn’t fight back his tears while addressing the crowd after getting knocked out from the tournament.
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Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev 4-0, 1-4, 4-2 in his last round-robin match. Despite the victory, Novak couldn’t secure a place in the final as he, Zverev, and Filip Krajinovic were tied with 2-1 win-loss records and an identical 5-3 set win-loss record. However, Krajinovic, who stunned Djokovic on Saturday, was through to the finals on the basis of having the best games difference among the three.
“Childhood memories started flooding back” – Novak Djokovic
Although Djokovic failed to reach his expectations, the exhibition event revived his childhood memories and made him emotional. Subsequently, the Serbian revealed that those were the tears of joy.
“I was very emotional on the court today. Childhood memories started flooding back, including those of growing up on these courts and playing here as a young boy. I was overwhelmed. Those were tears of joy after the match,” said Djokovic while receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
“I try to give back to where I come from and be conscious of my childhood and my upbringing. This tennis was an epicenter of people from my childhood days getting together for this tournament, including my former coaches. They were all here,” he concluded.
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World No.3 Dominic Thiem was flawless in the tournament as he won all the four matches and clinched the trophy of the first leg of the charity event.
While the tour remains suspended for more than 3 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ATP is expected to provide the final decision today on how the remaining calendar will look like.
