Novak Djokovic is not competing at this week's Belgrade Open, but he still delighted fans by appearing and signing autographs.
Djokovic's plans for the rest of the season are uncertain. He will likely qualify for the ATP Finals this week, the prestigious year-end tournament the Serbian has won seven times, including last year.
Only Andrey Rublev winning the Moselle Open in Metz, Alex de Minaur securing the title in Belgrade, and Casper Ruud reaching at least the semifinal in Metz all occurring together could prevent Djokovic from qualifying for the ATP Finals.
However, Djokovic might not compete at the tournament held in Turin. The 37-year-old has spoken about the four Grand Slams and representing Serbia being his priority, suggesting he might be done with tournaments like the ATP Finals.
The only tournament Djokovic has committed to traveling to is the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where his old rival Rafael Nadal will compete for the final time before retiring from the sport.
Djokovic's promise to attend Nadal's final event shows his respect for the 14-time French Open champion. The pair played for the final time before the Spaniard's retirement at the Six Kings Slam last month, and Djokovic paid an emotional tribute to Nadal afterward.
The former world No. 1 has not officially ruled out playing at the ATP Finals. Figures like Greg Rusedski think he will skip the tournament to get himself fully fit for the 2025 Australian Open, but Djokovic's decision is uncertain at this stage.
Some felt the 24-time Grand Slam champion's season might be over after he was pictured on holiday with his family in the Maldives. At that stage, it was unknown how long he would stay there.
Djokovic is now back in Serbia, where an ATP 250 event is taking place in Belgrade. Fans were surprised and thrilled in equal measure when the home hero made an appearance on Monday.
As seen in the video below, Djokovic signed autographs on Monday while fans gathered around to see the most statistically successful tennis player during his unexpected appearance at the Belgrade Open.
Although the tournament organizers would have undoubtedly done anything to get Djokovic to play in Belgrade, it is unsurprising that he did not. He is past the point of competing at ATP 250 tournaments, even on home soil.
Still, attending the tournament anyway to see the fans was a nice gesture from Djokovic. The tennis legend is aware of how much his appearance means to those who love him, and it will also generate attention for the tournament.
Naomi Osaka made a similar move last week. Although she had to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open due to a back injury, she still traveled to the area to conduct a coaching clinic with about 30 children.
Players do most of their inspiring on the court. However, engaging with fans off the court is also important, and Djokovic showed that by engaging with the fans at the Belgrade Open despite not being in the draw.