"Such a line-up is usually gathered at the Masters or Grand Slams" - Djokovic on impressive Astana Open field

| by Kadir Macar

Novak Djokovic was surprised to see the full lineup of the Astana Open noting that it's on the level of a grand slam or masters event.

Several top 10 players were among the athletes competing in the Astana Open as Djokovic was joined by the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

"The tournament had a very strong line-up and when I saw the draw I was surprised because such a line-up is usually gathered at the Masters or Grand Slams. I've spoken to other players and all are of the same opinion - everything is organised at the highest level here," explained Djokovic on the reason behind so many top players attending the event.

Kyrgios withdraws from Tokyo quarterfinal match against Fritz, comes to greet fans
Kyrgios withdraws from Tokyo quarterfinal match against Fritz, comes to greet fans

The interesting city of Astana serves as a microcosm of Kazakhstan's true identity as a fusion of several cultures. When he played an exhibition match here in 2019, Djokovic was unable to explore the city, but he will make sure to see more of it this time around:

"The last time I was in Kazakhstan was in 2019, when Rafa and I had an exhibition match in Astana. We didn't get to see everything in one day, but now I'm playing the full-time tournament, so I have a whole week ahead, and I will definitely visit the local sights."

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