Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic. Show all posts

I told Novak Djokovic, ‘I’m not giving you a choice, you have to click a photograph’-Neha Dhupia


Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 17, 2026)

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.”

Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar play tennis with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic

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DNA (December 10, 2014)

Enlarge ImageJust like we have Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty cheering for IPL (Indian Premiere League), and Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor doing the Let’s Football ISL (Indian Super League) cheer, here’s the latest from the pitch of International Premiere Tennis League (IPTL).

In the invincible company of champs like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Sania Mirza, we witnessed a energetic response from celebs like Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Sunil Gavaskar among others at the IPTL’s exhibition match day before yesterday.

The B-townies put up an electrifying show by not only enthralling the crowd but also fixing up a friendly hit-out with Dippy-Roger on one side, and Djokovic-Mirza on the other! Aamir Khan was also among the first ones to show his perfectionist side with Federer and camp.

While Aamir was accompanied by his son and wife Kiran Rao at the stands, Deepika walked in with father Prakash Padukone, India’s badminton legend made sure he cheered for Dippy’s legacy.