Novak Djokovic reacts to Lionel Messi giving him special tribute during Inter Miami blockbuster days after their meeting

Novak Djokovic reacted to soccer superstar Lionel Messi giving him a tribute while he scored a goal for Inter Miami in their match against Philadelphia Union on Saturday. A day before this, Messi was also spotted with his family during the Serb's match against Grigor Dimitrov, where he won comfortably to earn a spot in the finals.

The 37-year-old tennis star delivered stellar performances throughout this edition of the Miami Open and marched to the finals in hopes of clinching his 100th ATP title. The 24-time Grand Slam champion showcased 1 hour and 9 minutes of domination on the court during the semifinal clash and defeated the Bulgarian 6-2, 6-3.

The Argentinian who was in the stands witnessing the brilliance, paid tribute to Djokovic after he scored a winner for his team. Messi was seen gesturing a forehand, resembling the Serb as he led Inter Miami towards a 2-1 win in the group stage matches in MSL (Major Soccer League). Djokovic took to his Instagram stories to share a clip from the match, expressing his elation.

"🤩🤩🤩"- he reacted to the clip.

Screenshot via @djokernole on Instagram

See the celebration below:

Novak Djokovic also expressed how special it was to have the soccer legend in the stands during his match and they also exchanged kits with one another, making for a heartwarming interaction.

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Novak Djokovic on having Lionel Messi at the stadium during his match

Novak Djokovic at the Miami Open - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic was overjoyed after seeing Lionel Messi cheering him on from the stands accompanied by his family as he defeated Grigor Dimitrov on Friday. He candidly expressed his honor to be playing in front of Messi and that he has always admired his talent.

"Amazing to have him. It is a great honour to play, probably for the first time, in front of him live. I am really grateful he was here with his son and the family. I admired him of course as most of the world for most of his career and it is amazing he still keeps going. We are actually the same age, born in 1987, so it is nice to have him around," he said.

He further spoke about the impact that Messi has on the tennis world and that he felt a tiny bit of pressure to be playing in front of him.

"I mean, he's such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sport in the last 20 years has been immense. To have him watch me live obviously brings me great, great joy and excitement, and also a bit of pressure, to be honest," he said.

Djokovic will take on Jakub Mensik in a blockbuster clash for the Miami Open title on Sunday.