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Australian cricket icon Steve Smith left Novak Djokovic speechless with his tennis skills during a recent exhibition event ahead of the Australian Open 2024.
Djokovic hosted superstars from different sports for his 'A Night With Novak and Friends' event at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday, January 11. He was joined by Australian gymnast Georgia Godwin, cricketer Steve Smith, and middle-distance runner Peter Bol for the evening.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, tried his hand at various sports, including cricket and basketball, much to the amusement of the crowd inside the arena. He also took on two-time Olympian Bol for a running drill on the court, ultimately losing the battle after failing hilariously with his cheating attempts.
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The Serb dared gymnast Godwin to perform the Novak Flexibility Challenge as per his instructions. Godwin aced the routine and seemingly fared better than the challenger himself.
Djokovic then showed off his basketball skills, doing a perfect dunk with an assist from American basketball star Alan Travis Williams. After scoring the dunk, he paraded in style by recreating LeBron James' 'The Silencer' celebration.
Djokovic later tried his hand at cricket, one of the most popular sports in Australia. He faced a couple of balls from Jackson Warne, the son of late spinner Shane Warne. Djokovic failed miserably on his first attempt but replaced the cricket bat with his racket on his second try and managed to send the ball flying into the stands.
The 10-time Australian Open champion later went one on one with Steve Smith for a rally. Smith surprised the tennis ace with a solid return of his serve, which prompted the Serb to bow down.
The video of their exchange can be watched below.
A brief account of Novak Djokovic's 10 Australian Open triumphs
Novak Djokovic made his Australian Open debut in the year 2005, but couldn't go any further than the first round. He suffered a similar fate in 2006 but improved drastically to reach the fourth round in 2007.
In 2008, the Serb clinched his first Grand Slam title by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Australian Open final. His next two campaigns in 2009 and 2010 ended in the quarterfinals.
The World No. 1 then triumphed at the Happy Slam for three straight years in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He added two more trophies in 2015 and 2016, defeating Andy Murray in both finals.
Djokovic repeated the hat-trick by winning the Melbourne Major in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2023, he won his latest title with a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the summit clash.
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