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Novak Djokovic extending a warm welcome back to Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu on their winning returns to the tour has left tennis fans delighted.
Osaka, who last competed on the tour in September 2022, made a return to the tour at the Brisbane International after a 15-month hiatus. Having given birth to her daughter Shai in July, the four-time Grand Slam champion secured her first win as a mother on her comeback, beating Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 7-6(9) in the first round of the WTA 500 event.
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu made a return to the court at the ASB Classic after an eight-month injury layoff. She battled it out against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a closely contested first-round clash at the WTA 250 event, eventually securing a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory.
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With their successful comebacks generating immense excitement in the tennis community, Novak Djokovic also warmly welcomed Osaka and Raducanu back to the tour.
"Welcome back," he posted on his Instagram stories.
Tennis fans lavished praise on the Serb for his gracious message, hailing him for being a "gentleman."
"Novak is a gentleman. The tennis giant with a heart of gold and intelect like no other. But never weak or mean spirited," one fan posted.
"I repeat, there is not a single player on the tour who is more gracious and forgiving than Novak Djokovic," another fan commented.
Here are a few more reactions on X from fans:
Novak Djokovic to lead Serbia in United Cup QF against Australia; Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu continue comebacks
Novak Djokovic has led Serbia to the quarterfinals of the 2024 United Cup. The 24-time Grand Slam champion played an instrumental role in Serbia's triumph over the Czech Republic, overcoming Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-1.
Next up, Serbia take on home-favorites Australia for a place in the semifinals. The World No. 1, talking about the upcoming clash during a press conference in Perth, predicted that while there would be "a lot of noise" from the crowd, he expects that the Australian team to garner most of the support.
"A lot of noise I think from both sides, from both cheerleading groups. Of course probably more expectably and logically more Australians," he said.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka will continue her comeback against Karolina Pliskova at the Brisbane International. Pliskova leads 3-2 in her head-to-head against the four-time Grand Slam champion, having won their most recent encounter at the 2022 Brisbane International in three sets.
Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, locks horns with Elina Svitolina in a blockbuster clash in the second round of the ASB Classic, in their first tour-level encounter.
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