"Beautiful moment" - Novak Djokovic lauds Grigor Dimitrov's kind-hearted gesture towards a fan in Marseille

Novak Djokovic has appreciated Grigor Dimitrov’s recent gesture towards a fan at the Open 13 in Marseille.

Dimitrov’s 2024 season is off to a positive start. The 32-year-old recently won his ninth career title at the Brisbane International after a six-year title drought. He is currently competing at the 2024 Open 13 in Marseille, France.

On Thursday, February 8, the second seed defeated American Sebastian Korda 6-1, 7-6 (5) to advance to the quarterfinals of the event, where he will face home favorite Arthur Rinderknech.

Following his victory, Grigor Dimitrov interacted with the fans present in the stadium. He also climbed into the stands to specially meet with a differently abled fan. In a heartwarming moment, the Bulgarian gifted the fan his wristband and they also clicked a selfie together.

The incident caught Novak Djokovic’s attention. Taking to Instagram, the World No. 1 praised Dimitrov for his kind gesture.

"Beautiful moment Bratko (little brother)," the Serb wrote on his Instagram story.

The Serb on Instagram

Djokovic, who has faced Dimitrov a staggering 13 times on tour so far, has often shown his appreciation and admiration for the former World No. 3. He sang praises of Dimitrov following their latest meeting in the final of the 2023 Paris Masters, where he earned his 12th win over the Bulgarian.

Grigor Dimitrov, who hadn’t won a title since his 2017 ATP Finals victory at the time, was visibly shattered by the defeat. Seeing the Bulgarian in tears, Novak Djokovic halted his on-court interview and rushed to comfort him.

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Novak Djokovic will next be in action at Indian Wells 2024

The World No. 1 pictured at the 2024 Australian Open

While Grigor Dimitrov is riding high, thanks to his encouraging on-court results in recent months, Novak Djokovic hasn’t produced the desired results in 2024 so far. He currently holds a 7-2 win-loss record for the season.

The Serb started his campaign by representing his country at the United Cup. He registered two wins and one loss, which came against Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion then contested the 2024 Australian Open, where he was the defending champion. He was denied a record-extending 11th title at the event by eventual champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated him in the semifinal.

Djokovic hasn’t competed in any tournament since. He is expected to resume his campaign at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells in March, where he is the five-time champion.