Known for their love for sports, Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi were in for a treat in Melbourne, where they witnessed the clash between tennis greats Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. After the thrilling final, Neha met Djokovic.

An ecstatic Neha says, “I have been a die-hard Djokovic fan. I was screaming his name the whole time and rooting for him. We usually watch these games on TV, but watching the final live is a completely different experience. Even when the house was divided, it was united in its love for tennis. Both players had incredible support — people took sides but truly honoured the game and each player’s contribution. There was pin-drop silence during the match; you could actually hear the ball bouncing. I wasn’t sure if Djokovic would make it to the finals, but he did, and I got to witness it.”

Recalling her encounter with the tennis champ, Neha shares, “We were a group of 20 walking towards the centre court at Rod Laver Arena after the match when Djokovic happened to be walking out. For the first few seconds, I was speechless. I wasn’t sure whether to approach him. He had played exceptionally well but hadn’t won the trophy and looked exhausted. But I finally told him, ‘I’m not giving you a choice, you have to click a photograph,’ and he was so gracious. I told him we were from India and that this was a bucket-list moment for me. I was overwhelmed and thrilled.”

She adds, “This experience was extra special because I’m an avid tennis watcher and my entire family follows sports. My dad was thrilled that I got to witness this. Swedish legend Stefan Edberg was seated right behind us, while Rafael Nadal was in the front. It was surreal. I’m honestly falling short of words to describe how I felt... like a bumbling teenager. That definitely checked off a major item on my bucket list.”