Novak Djokovic reveals why son Stefan was 'confused' as the Santiago Bernabeu celebrated Fede Valverde's 'incredible' last-minute winner

Novak Djokovic shared his amazing experience of witnessing Real Madrid play against Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga. The ATP legend applauded midfielder Federico Valverde's commendable goal in extra time that led to the team's victory. He also shared the hilarious moment of his son Stefan missing out on the only minute when the shot came.

Djokovic attended Real Madrid's La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao at Santiago Bernabéu on April 21, 2025. The ATP star was also accompanied by his wife Jelena and son Stefan. Real Madrid hyped the excitement levels by securing a dramatic 1-0 victory after Federico Valverde's decisive goal in stoppage time. The match also turned controversial as Real Madrid expressed frustration over a denied penalty appeal from Jude Bellingham in the 86th minute.

After witnessing the high-class soccer action, Djokovic stepped forward to share his excitement with the Tennis Channel. The 24-time Grand Slam champion mentioned how his group was hoping for a last-minute goal, and they finally received it.

"We were all kind of hoping that the goal is gonna come in the extra time, which it did. I think when we were there, we were not expecting him to go for that shot because the ball was quite awkward but Valverde scored an incredible goal and obviously excitement at the stadium, 80,000 people, was amazing," he said.

The Serb also narrated a funny incident where his son, Stefan, unfortunately missed the iconic moment throughout the game. This happened while the 9-year-old went backstage to get some drinks and snacks.

"My son was behind but this was the only minute that he didn’t see because he went inside to grab a drink and food. And that's why in the rest of the video you see him being confused. He was waiting for that goal and cheering and it happened without him seeing it live," the 37-year-old added.

Novak Djokovic is in Madrid as he prepares for the highly anticipated Masters 1000 event. With Andy Murray by his side, the Serb plans his resurgence after the disappointing defeat against Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round at Monte Carlo.

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Novak Djokovic unveils one of the many reasons for delaying his retirement

Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Laureus World Sport Awards Madrid - Red Carpet - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic addressed the tennis scenario without a major share of the Big Four. He mentioned how he continues to hold on to his career to keep representing the ATP legends, while three of them have already signed off.

“I guess it takes a little bit of time for people to accept the fact that Roger and Rafa are not playing, and Murray, and I guess one day myself, but I'm still trying to stay there and represent the older guys, the older generation," he said, in a press conference.

The ATP star also cited the sport's situation and the need for continuous crowd interaction as the reason behind delaying his retirement.

"That's also one of the reasons why I keep on playing is because I feel like it also helps tennis still thrive on the attention and crowd coming in, watching tournaments and getting interested," he added.

Novak Djokovic is all set to step onto the courts of Madrid after his last appearance in 2022. The 3-time champion will begin his campaign on March 26, with the opening showdown against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy.