"Can't wait for Adrian Mannarino to find out he's playing Novak Djokovic" - Frenchman not knowing his Australian Open 4R opponent amuses fans

Adrian Mannarino's confession of being unaware of his fourth-round opponent at the 2024 Australian Open has amused tennis fans.

Mannarino defeated Ben Shelton 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, in four hours and 46 minutes at the Kia Arena. The win propelled the Frenchman to the fourth round, where he will face the World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. It also marked Mannarino's third consecutive five-setter at this year's Melbourne Slam.

After the match, Adrian Mannarino revealed that he prefers not knowing the name of his next-round opponent and that he only wants to learn their name an hour prior to the match, in order to avoid overthinking beforehand.

“I always try to keep it as long as I can because I just don't want to think too much,” Mannarino told ATPTour.com. “But let's say on average it's about an hour before. It's always different, the different situation.”

Several fans were amused after learning of Mannarino's strategy, and they took to social media to express their opinion on it. Tennis writer Bastien Fachan said he was eagerly anticipating the moment when the 35-year-old would discover that he is up against Novak Djokovic, by running into him in the tunnel at the Rod Laver Arena just before their match.

"Can't wait for Mannarino to find out he's playing Djokovic by running into him in the tunnel to Rod Laver Arena on Sunday," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan stated that Adrian Mannarino must be living "in a cave" to not know that he would be facing Djokovic in his upcoming round match.

"Man must go to live in a cave now to not know he'll face Djokovic," the fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

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Adrian Mannarino: “I don't think I need to prepare special for these kind of matches”

Adrian Mannarino at the 2024 Australian Open

Following his win over Ben Shelton, while speaking to ATPTour.com, Adrian Mannarino revealed the rationale behind his preference for not knowing the names of his next opponents. He stated that the approach is rooted in his belief that he does not require "to prepare special" for any player.

“I don't think I need to prepare special for these kind of matches. Many players like to play with lefty before playing a lefty, practising with a righty before playing a righty. I just think that's bullsh*t," Mannarino said.

Mannarino also said that he struggles to find doubles partners, as the players tend to be intense in their preparation.

“This is one of the reasons why I'm struggling to find partners because people, they're really, really intense in their preparation. They want everything to be perfect. For me, doesn't really matter," he added.

Adrian Mannarino and his fourth-round opponent at the 2024 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic, have crossed paths on four occasions, with the World No. 1 winning each encounter. Their most recent meeting took place at the 2018 Western & Southern Open.