The top seed, Novak Djokovic, is through to the quarter-final at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane. The legend took down Rinky Hijikata and Gael Monfils en route to the last eight, remaining on course toward his 100th ATP title!
Last year, Djokovic celebrated his Wimbledon victories by playing the violin on his racquet, making his daughter, Tara, happy. Novak added another instrument to his “orchestra” in Brisbane, with the saxophone following a violin.
Is there anything the 24-time Major can not do? Probably not, but we would certainly love to hear his saxophone skills as he demonstrated in October 2023 at Stjepan Hauser’s concert.
Novak Djokovic reveals the cute reason behind his unique celebration at the Brisbane International ❤️🎺 pic.twitter.com/qgC6ADrJal
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 2, 2025
The 24-time Major winner explained his new celebration, with his son Stefan asking him to “play it.” Novak is competing in Brisbane for the first time since 2009, seeking a milestone crown ahead of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic, Brisbane 2025© Stream screenshot
Djokovic embraced a reduced schedule in the closing stages of 2024 after claiming the elusive Olympic Games gold medal in Paris. He wrapped up the season in Shanghai and still ended in the top-10. Novak recharged batteries and entered Brisbane ahead of the Australian Open.
The Serb kicked off the season against Rinky Hijikata and scored a 6-4, 6-3 victory in an hour and 14 minutes. The veteran played well on serve and return, notching an ATP win for the 22nd consecutive season! Novak fired 12 aces and dropped ten points in his games.
Novak Djokovic, Brisbane 2025© Stream screenshot
Hijikata failed to create a break point, mounting the pressure on his side of the court. The Aussie could not follow that pace, playing against five break points and experiencing three breaks. In a similar match, Novak defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 12 minutes.
Djokovic defeated his great rival for the 20th time in as many duels. The Serb dropped 14 points in nine service games. He defended the only break point and challenged Monfils to repeat that to remain in touch. Gael struggled on the second serve.
The older player gave away 44% of the points in his games and failed to defend any of three break points. World no. 7 celebrated the win by “playing” violin and saxophone. He hopes to bring more music vibes against Reilly Opelka on Friday night!
Tennis World USA