Novak Djokovic drew a sizable crowd for his unannounced practice session at UCLA on Wednesday afternoon that only continued to grow as word got out. Students packed out the lower bowl at the Bruins’ on-campus tennis center to watch the world No. 1 hit a few shots.
Legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic is practicing at #UCLA right now in front of a growing crowd of students. pic.twitter.com/6pY0op3yn5
— Gavin Carlson (@GavinCarlsonDB) February 28, 2024
Following his disappointing semifinal exit at the Aussie Open, Novak Djokovic will return to the court on March 6 at the Indian Wells Masters which is held just outside of Palm Springs. He was already in Los Angeles ahead of the tournament and went to see Lionel Messi play against the LA Galaxy on Sunday, so it made sense to stick around to train. The campus in Westwood presented him with an opportunity to play at some of the top facilities in the area.
It also gave Djokovic a chance to show off in front of a rowdy crowd. Word of his presence on campus spread quickly after men’s water polo star Rafael Real Vergara posted a photo with him on Instagram.
The 36-year-old legend proceeded to hit a nasty behind-the-back drop shot that — if it happened during tournament play — would have been the shot the year. UCLA students oohed and aahed as the cheeky hit landed just inside the sideline.
Novak in action – have a look at his behind-the-back shot as #UCLA students are stunned. pic.twitter.com/OtMNaJ6CTR
— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) February 28, 2024
Elsewhere in the United States, Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are charging $150,000 for a private session with fans in Las Vegas. Their price tag drew a lot of criticism amongst the tennis community and Sam Querry flat-out mocked the number.
While Djokovic did not hit with his fans, he allowed the sizable crowd of Bruins to join him on the court after his practice concluded— for free! They got to watch him play and got a selfie or two, which is objectively a cool move from one of the greatest to ever do it.
Djokovic practiced for about two hours on Wednesday afternoon and spent about 30 minutes on the court with fans after his day had concluded. It is unclear as to whether he will continue to work at UCLA before traveling to the Coachella Valley, but if he does, the entire stadium would surely be full!