The 2024 Australian Open inaugurated the Grand Slam calendar with an innovative four-day charity event leading up to the main tournament. This special event brought together tennis’ biggest superstars and Australia’s top sportspersons from various disciplines.
On Thursday, the spotlight was on Novak Djokovic, the 10-time champion and defending titleholder, as he took the court in a showcase called ‘A Night with Novak and Friends.’ Among his friends was Australian cricketing legend Steve Smith. The collaboration of these two charismatic sports personalities resulted in a night of laughter and entertainment on the center court.
During their friendly exchange, Djokovic and Smith showcased their skills in each other’s sports, both emerging victorious, albeit with a twist in Djokovic’s triumph. Smith surprised Djokovic by skillfully returning a powerful serve from the World No. 1 using a cricket bat, leaving Djokovic in disbelief.
In response, Djokovic humorously dropped his tennis racket before bowing down to the cricketing maestro. The scene then shifted to Smith returning to his comfort zone with a cricket bat. After a shaky start from Djokovic, Smith confidently hit a full delivery into the crowd and followed it up with a skillful shot along the ground.
Game respects game!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
(And Novak is just like the rest of us when it comes to Smudge…)@stevesmith49 • @DjokerNole • #AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/ioL8hjVSrF
Is it too late to add him to the test squad?! From the sounds of it the selectors are open to trying things out…@DjokerNole • #AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/VAJq2KFShr
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
When the roles reversed, Djokovic’s initial wild swing was outplayed, but the savvy 36-year-old asked for another delivery. In a clever move, he switched his tennis racket for the cricket bat at the last second, sending the ball into the stands.