Bulgarian tennis ace Grigor Dimitrov and his Serbian counterpart Novak Djokovic took on each other in an exhibition match in Sofia on Tuesday. The two players put on a show in all different ways possible. From going shirtless to pairing up by wearing the same jacket, Dimitrov and Djokovic did it all. The Bulgarian even gave away his racket to a ball boy to play against Djokovic.
During the third game of their second set, Dimitrov switched places with a ball boy giving away his racket and assuming the ball boy’s role. The ball boy, meanwhile, did not want to miss out on this golden opportunity as he went full throttle against Djokovic.
He served with precision and got his first serve right. Djokovic also responded with equal enthusiasm, returning his shots and getting into a rally before a big forehand from the ball boy went out. The two players played one more point while the crowd cheered.
Novak Djokovic hyped the exhibition match by singing for Grigor Dimitrov and crowd
Before the start of the match, Novak Djokovic addressed Grigor Dimitrov as his brother and expressed excitement about their reunion. During the match, the two players enjoyed some great moments, including the shirtless antics.
After the match was finished, Djokovic also sang a song in Bulgarian for his friend cum brother. Dimitrov was surprised and touched at the same time by this gesture from the Serbian legend. Djokovic also got the crowd involved as he sang the Bulgarian song.
Djokovic and Dimitrov share a great bond. At 2014 Indian Wells, the Serbian playfully interrupted his peer’s press conference to declare, “My friend Grigor here, the best-looking guy on tour.” When Dimitrov finished runner-up at last year’s Paris Masters, Djokovic paused his interview to comfort his friend.
Apart from all the fun, the two players also played a good match. Dimitrov took the opening set 6-4 while Nole came back to win the second. In the tiebreaker, Dimitrov reigned supreme, winning it 10-6 and closing the match in his favor. The money raised through this exhibition match benefited Dimitrov’s foundation.