“Novak Djokovic trying to demoralize them early”;“F**k them kids” – Tennis fans react to Serb practicing with 13-year-old in Dubai

Tennis fans on the internet were reminded of Novak Djokovic's dominant record against the young generation of players by seeing the Serb practice with 13-year-old Timur Gordeev in Dubai.

Gordeev is a student at Rackets Academy in Dubai. Originally from Moscow, Russia, he has grown up in Dubai. With the way things stand, he is a rookie on the junior circuit with three wins in four matches.

Gordeev most recently got the chance to exchange rallies with Djokovic, who is in UAE to prepare for the 2024 season. The former is due to participate in the United Cup scheduled to begin in Perth, Australia on December 29, 2023.

Gordeev also received a hat from the Serb after the practice session ended.

The gift must have brought a smile to Gordeev's face but tennis buffs on social media saw the funny side of it. They thought of it as the 24-time Grand Slam champion's attempt to scare off the upcoming players.

"He’s trying to demoralize them early," a fan wrote on Reddit.

Another fan stated:

"F**k them kids."

Upon seeing the duo practice, a third fan envisioned a laughable scenario in which the 36-year-old would begin smashing returns against Timur Gordeev.

"I'm probably wrong for this, but it would be f**king hilarious if he just started blasting extended grunt winners against this kid out of nowhere," the fan wrote.

Another fan could foresee Gordeev losing to the Serb in future:

"Imagine if this kid is still playing in a couple of years, makes the ATP and Djokovic is still playing on tour. Only to find out that Djokovic only gives you false hope to then crush you mentally, spiritually and of course financially," the fan wrote.

Reactions on Reddit.

Here are a few more reactions from Reddit:

Fan reactions from Reddit.

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Novak Djokovic: "I don't know how many years I have ahead of me"

Davis Cup Final - Previews

After winning the 2023 US Open in September, Novak Djokovic accepted that his professional career is approaching the shore. In a press conference after his final clash against Daniil Medvedev, he said:

"Well, fact is that at 36, every Grand Slam final, yeah, I don't know, could be the last one. So I think that I probably value these occasions and opportunities to win another Slam more than I have maybe 10 years ago."

He continued:

"Because 10 years ago I felt like, hey, I still have quite a few years ahead of me. I don't know how many [years] I have ahead of me now."

The Serb turned pro in the year 2003.