‘He has such a great heart and soul’: Fans hail Novak Djokovic as he stops to give tennis tips to young children while walking his dog in Belgrade… but others question whether the world No 1 should have been wearing a face covering?
- Novak Djokovic was caught giving young fans tennis tips while walking his dog
- The world number one was back in Belgrade after losing the French Open final
- Djokovic was criticised for not following social distancing rules in Serbia
- Serbians must keep to a 1.5 metre distance and should wear masks in public
- Other praised the 33-year-old for the kind-hearted gesture to his young fans
Novak Djokovic was spotted giving tennis coaching tips to young children while out walking his dog in Belgrade this week, despite strict social distancing rules in Serbia.
The world number one was back in his home city after appearing in the French Open final last weekend and was captured on video giving a young boy some tennis tips on how to swing the racket.
While holding his small white dog, Djokovic was giving guidance to the young child while other youngster surrounded the 33-year-old in awe of seeing one of Serbia’s biggest sports stars.
Novak Djokovic (back) was seen giving a young child tennis tips while walking his dog in Serbia
The world number one was mobbed by youngsters in Belgrade in an apparent goodwill gesture
While many praised Djokovic for his goodwill gesture, many were concerned about the world number one’s blatant lack of respect for the coronavirus guidelines currently in place in Serbia.
Everyone in Serbia must maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres in all areas while face coverings are advised to be worn while out in public.
Not only was Djokovic in close distance to the young boy he was giving tips to – the Serbian handed the youngster a racket at the beginning of the footage, but the tennis star was also not wearing a face mask of any kind in the video.
However, Djokovic was questioned by social media users over his lack of social distancing
Serbian residents must keep to a 1.5 metre social distance and should wear masks in public
Fans noticed Djokovic’s disregard for the rules on social media as he was not wearing a mask
Social media users noticed Djokovic’s lack of social distancing, stating: ‘Still no mask? What a Djoka**’
Another tweeted: ‘Yall thinking anyone’s a hater for simply pointing something out. I actually like Djokovic’s game. I simply found his idiocy during this pandemic loathsome.’
Other tennis fans praised Djokovic for his kind-hearted gesture with some claiming the young child will be inspired by his actions.
One tweeted: ‘Novak has such a great heart and sole (sic). Look at him!!!!giving time to the kids in the street. What other #1 sportsman does that?’
Another tennis fan said: ‘I’ve seen him do this before, actually a few years ago. He’s a down to earth dude. I know it’s a hard pill to swallow for all his haters but Novak is the real deal as a person.’
Other social media users praised Djokovic for the kind-hearted gesture while out in public
Meanwhile, another claimed: ‘He has a heart of gold amazing human being as well as being the best ever tennis player’
Djokovic has endured a difficult few months both on-and-off the tennis court which has seen more questions raised about his respect for the coronavirus rules.
The world number one organised the Adria Tour in June – right in the middle of the global pandemic with very few sports back in action – but the event was slammed as footage from parties involving competitors showed a lack of social distancing.
Djokovic (left) was slammed for not following social distancing during his disastrous Adria Tour
Djokovic (right) was criticised when he was kicked out of the US Open for hitting a line judge
The tournament was then abandoned as several players tested positive for Covid-19 in the build-up to the tournament’s final, including Djokovic and his wife Jelena.
Djokovic returned to the Grand Slam scene in September in the US Open, but was disqualified from the tournament at Flushing Meadows for hitting a line judge with a ball in frustration.
The Serbian did not speak to the media after the fourth-round exit via default and while he apologised for the incident, he refused to rule out an incident like this from happening again.
The 33-year-old then went on to win the Italian Open in Rome and reached the French Open final last weekend, but was beaten in straight sets by ‘Roland Garros King’ Rafael Nadal.