Novak Djokovic humorously suggested that his French Open quarter-final opponent, Alexander Zverev, was “spying” on him.
The tennis icon, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, is scheduled to compete against the powerful server Zverev in the upcoming night session match at Roland Garros.
On Monday, before Djokovic`s fourth-round match against Britain`s Cameron Norrie, Paris Saint-Germain football star Ousmane Dembele paraded the Champions League trophy around Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Following his own victory via walkover (6-4, 3-0) against Tallon Griekspoor earlier that day, Zverev visited Chatrier court to have his picture taken with the famous cup.
Sharing his photo with the trophy on Instagram, Zverev, a former French Open finalist, captioned it: “Didn’t expect to see you here @championsleague. Congrats @psg.”
Djokovic, who shares a friendly relationship with the 28-year-old German, playfully accused Zverev of having a hidden motive for being there.
The 38-year-old Serbian star commented, “Tell the truth. You were there because you were spying on my game. Seeing the trophy was just an excuse.”
Djokovic`s lighthearted comment proved popular, receiving over 12,000 likes from amused fans.
The three-time French Open winner is aiming to clinch his first Grand Slam title since winning the US Open in 2023.
Ahead of the Roland Garros tournament, Djokovic made changes to his coaching setup after experiencing early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
Having secured a victory at a smaller event in Geneva just before the French Open began, Djokovic appeared to arrive in Paris in a positive mood.
The superstar from Belgrade has reached the quarter-finals of the French Open this year without dropping a single set.
Adding to the week`s events, Djokovic attended PSG`s Champions League celebrations at the nearby Parc des Princes on Sunday evening.
Hundreds of people were reportedly arrested in Paris following a night of disturbances after the PSG triumph.
Speaking about the chaotic Saturday night, during which he defeated Austria`s Filip Misolic, Djokovic recalled: “People were quite tense here, I must say, during our return to the hotel.”
“At one point, they were strongly advising us not to go back at all, suggesting we might need to find somewhere to sleep nearby for the night, because it was already past midnight and dangerous incidents like gas bombs and cars being set on fire were occurring in the streets.”
“This was all happening around our hotel, which is located near the Arc de Triomphe.”
“Ultimately, we discussed the situation. We waited for some time, and then decided it was safe enough to proceed back.”
