Novak Djokovic reached the final of yet another ATP tournament as he eased past 14th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 to register a comprehensive win in the semifinal of the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium. Football superstar Lionel Messi was in attendance as Djokovic hardly broke a sweat against his Bulgarian opponent.
Messi, widely regarded as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in football, plays for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami and he was at the game cheering on his fellow GOAT in Tennis. The two athletes are the absolute best in their respective sports. Lionel Messi has the most Ballon d’Or awards (Best player in the world) with 8 to his name while Djokovic has 24 Grand Slams, the most in men’s tennis history.
After cruising to the final, Djokovic acknowledged the Argentine footballer’s presence in the post-match interview, saying: “Obviously, it’s a thrill to have his whole family. It’s a huge honor. He’s such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sports in the last 20 years has been immense.
“To have him watch me live brings me great joy and excitement and also a little pressure. It’s definitely different when he brings his family. I was touched by that,” he added in the on-court interview.
The Argentine, with his wife and kids in tow, visited the Serb in the dressing room after the match and the pair exchanged gifts and even posed for a picture that Djokovic shared on his social media accounts. He captioned the post “An honor to meet the greatness @leomessi and his whole family. Gracias Leo. Asta pronto”, which translates to “see you soon,”
Even before Djokovic’s picture with Messi went viral after the match, the duo created a buzz earlier as cameras captured the two in the same frame multiple times during the match. Many users shared their excitement on X with screen-grabs of the duo in the same frame. One user exclaimed “THIS IS NOT A DRILL” while a Messi fan page shared a picture of the duo in the dressing room with the caption, “Nothing to see here just both GOATs of their respective sports. Messi and Djokovic.”
Another X account, an Argentina football fan page, shared another picture of the duo standing with Messi’s compatriot and former tennis player Juan Martín del Potro, who was also in attendance at the Hard Rock Stadium.
On Sunday, March 30, Novak Djokovic will look to bag his 100th Singles title when he faces Czech Republic’s Jakub Menšík in the final of the Miami Open.
