Novak Djokovic defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium to qualify for the Miami Open final. The Serbian also met star footballer Lionel Messi and exchanged gifts with the World Cup-winnig captain.
Novak Djokovic defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium to qualify for the Miami Open final. The fourth-seeded Djokovic outclassed Dimitrov in the semi-final to set up the final against 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, who defeated Taylor Fritz in a thrilling contest. The game moved to the tiebreaker as Mensik eventually emerged victorious by 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Notably, legendary footballer and World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi was in attendance to watch Djokovic in action. After the game, the Tennis star shared that the Inter Miami star visited his locker where they exchanged gifts and added that it was an absolute honour for him to have Messi and his family by the courtside and also lauded his contribution to sports in general.
“Obviously, it’s a thrill to have his whole family. It’s a huge honour. He’s such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sports in the last 20 years has been immense. To have him watch me live brings me great joy and excitement and also a little pressure. It’s definitely different when he brings his family. I was touched by that,” Djokovic said.
A win in the final on Sunday, March 30 will also mark Djokovic’s 100th title as a professional. Meanwhile, the Serbian has struggled with form after his success in the Olympics 2024 as the Serbia-born was ruled out of the Australia Open semi-finals due to an injury, and upon his return, Djokovic lost his first match at Indian Wells to Botic van de Zandschulp.
On the other hand, Dimitrov defeated Francisco Cerundulo in the quarterfinal to make it to the semis. After that game, the Bulgaria-born had to spend some time in a wheelchair due to dizziness. Recalling that, Dimitrov shared that he doesn’t have any recollection of what went down during that time.
