Djokovic watches Messi play

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic took his family to watch Lionel Messi's match, before entering the Masters 1000 series in the US.

Djokovic brought his family with him on his trip to the US, marking his first return to California since 2019. The Serbian did not practice right away, but instead went with his wife and son Stefan to watch Inter Miami vs LA Galaxy on February 26. In this match, Lionel Messi scored an injury-time equalizer for Inter Miami, tying the score at 1-1.

Djokovic in the stands at Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles, California on February 26 as LA Galaxy hosted Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. Photo: ESPN

"I struggled with not having my family around when I came to Australia over the years," Djokovic said in an interview in the US on February 25, two days after he boarded the same flight as Rafael Nadal to Los Angeles. "Being away from my kids for a week, a month is a big challenge because they are growing up every day. I need balance in my life and to be connected to my family as much as possible."

Djokovic arrived in the US 15 days early, before the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells started. He had previously skipped the Dubai Championship to go skiing, then went to Spain to train. Nole is expected to move into a $5 million penthouse in Miami in the coming weeks, after the Indian Wells Masters concludes. Miami Open is the Masters 1000 forte of the Serbian tennis player, a record six-time champion.

"Coming back to the US at the beginning of the year and playing two Masters 1000s back to back is fantastic," Djokovic said. "I've had a lot of fun playing the US Open over the years, but Indian Wells and Miami have always been the most exciting places for me throughout my career."

Djokovic is a four-time "Sunshine Double" winner, winning both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. He will be the top seed in both tournaments this year as he is guaranteed to be world number one until April.

In addition to watching Messi play, Djokovic also received good news on February 26 when his name was nominated for the Laureus Award - an award considered the Oscar of Sports. The world's number one tennis player has won this award four times, in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019. This year, he will compete with Messi himself, striker Erling Haaland, F1 driver Max Verstapen, track star Noah Lyles and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis.

Vy Anh

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