Tennis great Novak Djokovic traded the hard court for the baseball diamond on Thursday, making a special appearance at Yankee Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The event took place just before the New York Yankees took on the Boston Red Sox, with Djokovic in town ahead of the upcoming US Open.
Wearing a white compression sleeve on his right arm, the 38-year-old stepped up to the pitcher’s mound and delivered a pitch to Yankees catcher Austin Wells. While the ball hit the dirt just short of the plate, the crowd roared in appreciation for the tennis icon's effort.
Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion, is preparing for his first-round match on Sunday against Learner Tien. He enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed and is seeking to capture his 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would put him ahead of Margaret Court's all-time record.
During his visit, Djokovic also connected with Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. The two athletes, leaders in their respective sports, exchanged signed gear. Djokovic presented Judge with a tennis racket, and in return, the baseball slugger gave him an autographed bat. Judge is currently in the race for the AL MVP, leading Major League Baseball with 40 home runs.
Djokovic’s appearance in New York comes during a challenging period in his career. While he has reached a Grand Slam final since his last major victory at the 2023 US Open, he has not lifted a major trophy since then. Younger players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have dominated the Grand Slam scene since the start of 2024, winning every major title between them. As the US Open gets underway, all eyes will be on Djokovic to see if he can add another historic chapter to his legacy.
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