WATCH: “It’s in the Spanish blood to have better forehand,” Novak Djokovic makes a sly Rafael Nadal reference in his meeting with Carlos Sainz at Monte Carlo

Djokovic defeated Safiullin to reach the third round with eyes set on another Masters-1000 title.

WATCH: “It’s in the Spanish blood to have better forehand,” Novak Djokovic makes a sly Rafael Nadal reference in his meeting with Carlos Sainz at Monte Carlo

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (in circle - Djokovic with Carlos Sainz Jr.) [Images via IMAGO, X]

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has brilliantly started his clay season. Playing as the top seed at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters, he dispatched Roman Safiullin in the second round dropping just three games in his straight-set victory.

With the event being played in Monaco, many celebrities make their visit to catch some tennis action. Among these, Formula 1 drivers are often seen attending the matches given many of the big names reside in the area.

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Mercedes driver George Russell was spotted with his partner a few days ago. He was later followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. for a visit to the tournament site. The Spaniard even went on to meet Djokovic and the two had a hearty exchange.

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Nole asked Sainz if he got to play some tennis. The 29-year-old quickly admitted to having a ‘terrible’ backhand and an ‘okay’ drive. He also claimed his volley ‘sucked’ to which the Djoker had a cheeky reply taking a dig at the likes of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. 

It's in the Spanish blood to have a better forehand. Always relying on the forehand. Nice, nice.
said Djokovic smilingly.

Sainz also took it jokingly and the two were later seen posing for pictures together. Nole signed his bottle and thanked him for coming out and supporting him. He also wished him to ‘win it all’ this year owing to his fabulous form and an impending exit from Ferrari at the end of this season.

Novak Djokovic gets his shot at redemption against Italians

Following the win over Safiullin, Djokovic will now take on Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti in the third round. Musetti defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the first round in a stunning upset. He followed it with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Arthur Fils to set up the tie with Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via IMAGO)

Nole suffered back-to-back losses to Jannik Sinner in Davis Cup 2023 and then the Australian Open semis this year. He was then at the receiving end of one of the biggest upsets in the sport when then World No. 123 Luca Nardi defeated him in the third round of the 2024 Indian Wells Masters.

This led to the rise of a theory claiming the 24-time singles Grand Slam title winner can’t beat Italian players. He was even questioned the same in his press conference to which Djokovic gave a cold reply. With a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head, the Serb will look to make easy work of Musetti and reach the fourth round.

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