Watch: Novak Djokovic spends Christmas playing tennis in his neighborhood

Amid growing speculation around Novak Djokovic’s participation at the 2022 Australian Open, the World No.1 was spotted spending his Christmas holiday back home in Belgrade.

In an Instagram post shared by one of his fans, Djokovic can be seen playing a casual game of tennis around the neighborhood on Christmas morning.

“Working saturday… the one and only Novak Djokovic,” the fan captioned the post on Instagram.

Although only Djokovic is seen in the video, photos of the tennis star along with Serbian handball player Petar Djordjic have been doing the rounds on social media.

Novak Djokovic and Benfica’s handball player (the best, btw) Petar Djordjic in Belgrade today.

Novak Djokovic and Benfica’s handball player (the best, btw) Petar Djordjic in Belgrade today. https://t.co/U7lti3xjcQ

Djordjic plays for the Benfica Handball Team in Andebol, the top tier of handball leagues in Portugal. Novak Djokovic is a staunch supporter of Benfica’s football team, leading to a close connection between the two Serbian nationals.

Novak Djokovic is yet to leave for Australia to kick off his 2022 season. The 20-time Grand Slam champion officially begins the year at the ATP Cup in Sydney, where Serbia is drawn alongside Chile, Spain and Norway.

It will be followed by the Australian Open where he will defend his crown in an attempt to become the first male player to secure 21 Majors.

Recent developments have muddled Novak Djokovic’s ATP Cup participation

Meanwhile, recent reports have given rise to more uncertainty regarding Novak Djokovic’s participation in the 2022 ATP Cup. Sources close to the Serb have reported that he might possibly skip the tournament.

Djokovic’s ATP Cup participation was one of the most concrete reasons fans believed he would compete at the Australian Open as well. Both tournaments follow the same entry protocols for players and his participation at the Grand Slam directly corresponded to his eligibility to play in the ATP Cup.

It is possible that Djokovic might miss the ATP Cup for purely fitness reasons, as it would give him an extended break before he begins his title defense of the Australian Open. Nonetheless, questions regarding his vaccination status continue to grow louder.

Over the last week, tennis players as well as others involved in the sport claimed that Djokovic not being vaccinated was just pure speculation. Almost all of them pointed to the fact that he was announced to play at the ATP Cup as evidence to support their argument.

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This recent development has jeopardized that claim, leaving fans with more doubts while there is still no official word from Novak Djokovic. If he is unvaccinated, January 2 is the deadline by which he can arrive in Australia and still play the first Grand Slam of the year.

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