Novak Djokovic’s bond with France runs deep, strengthened over the years by the immense support he’s received from the fans. The Serb has also provided some amazing moments from them to cheer en route to his three French Open and seven Paris Masters victories. This year, he finally won the long-awaited Olympic gold at the Paris Games.
That the French would honor him was an easy assumption to make, given his long list of accomplishments on their soil. They took the honoring part to the next level though, celebrating Djokovic in a unique manner. They have named a game after him.
The “bounce” game, lovingly known as “The Djoko” in France, was made popular by Djokovic multiple years ago. Nole indulged in it as a form of a practice drill to improve his speed, touch, and performance at the net. In the game, the player must bounce the ball on his side before returning it to the other side of the net.
An old clip of the Serb doing this drill recently resurfaced on social media where Djokovic was seen playing the game with former player Dusan Vemic.
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What began as a drill is now being played by several professional players on the tour. Patrick Mouratoglou, one of the most renowned coaches in the sport, also promoted this game.
“I love these two games, the Djokovic’s bounce and the two square bounce. They are fun, demanding and helpful,” Patrick M wrote.
Djokovic’s French followers will not be able to catch their star in action again this year.
Djokovic withdraws from the Paris Masters 2024
Considering his run to the final of the Shanghai Masters 2024, many pundits believed Djokovic could replicate his success in Paris. However, he withdrew from the Paris Masters 2024, citing multiple reasons.
The current edition of the tournament is being held in Bercy for one last time before it gets shifted to the Paris La Defense Arena from 2025. One was expecting him to participate in Bercy, a venue that has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic.
The Paris Masters would have also given him one last chance to win an ATP Masters 1000 title this season. By choosing to sit out, Djoko will finish a season without a Masters 1000 title for the third time in his illustrious career.
This also marks the end of the “Big Three’s” Masters record. It would be the first time in 21 years that Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic did win a Masters 1000 title in a calendar year.
It seems like Djokovic is focusing on increasing his chances of winning more Grand Slams by skipping other events. This could mean that tennis fans may not see him in action until the Australian Open 2025 in case he doesn’t make it to the 2024 ATP Finals.
