Novak Djokovic had major praise for the Athens crowd after booking a semifinal spot in the Greece capital as the Serbian tennis star stated that he felt like he was playing in his country.
After the ATP 250 tournament from Belgrade relocated to Athens, Djokovic was one of the first names to sign up for the event. So far, so good for the record 24-time Grand Slam champion, who ousted Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (3) 6-1 and also routed Nuno Boges 7-6 (1) 6-3 to reach the semis. In both of his matches, the current world No. 1 received some strong support from the stands.
The support by the crowd is amazing and it gets better. For me its like playing in Serbia. I am very thankful for that, the former world No. 1 said after beating Borges.
Djokovic recently moved with his family to Greece
After concluding his US Open run in the semifinal, Djokovic went to Greece with his family. And now, the Mediterranean country has been their home for the past two months.
Earlier this year, Djokovic subtly called out the Serbian government - and when he moved to Greece - the public started to speculate whether that led to the decision he made. At the start of the Athens tournament, the 38-year-old was asked if he could explain what led to him moving with his family to Greece.
Theres a lot of historical, religious, cultural, social ties between Greece and Serbia that is a big part of the reason why Im here. Its also because, of course, the weather, the food is incredible. You are on one of the nicest coastlines in Europe, in the world. I just love the lifestyle. I really feel that the Greek and Serbian people are like brothers, and so this is the biggest reason," the Serb told CNN Greece earlier this week.
Djokovic plays against Yannick Hanfmann in the Athens semifinal.
