Novak Djokovic Surprises Parishioners With Unexpected Church Visit

CINCINNATI, OH — Novak Djokovic attended Divine Liturgy at a small Orthodox church in the United States on Sunday, Aug. 16, one day after suffering a surprising first-round defeat at the Cincinnati Open.

According to a social media post by Dragan Petrovic, Djokovic drove himself to the church and attended the service without a large entourage. Parishioners were reportedly surprised to see the 24-time Grand Slam champion and initially hesitated to approach him because they did not want to interrupt his prayer.

After the service, however, Djokovic told those present that he would be happy to take photographs with them. The visit came shortly after his unexpected loss to Argentina’s Thiago Tirante in Cincinnati.

Djokovic, 39, struggled in the heat and humidity during the match, dropping the second and third sets after winning the first, 6-2, before losing 4-6, 4-6. He received medical attention during the match and later said an underlying health condition had caused problems for him in hot and humid conditions.

The Serbian tennis star has long spoken publicly about his Orthodox Christian faith. In 2011, he received the Serbian Orthodox Church’s highest honor for his support of the Church and Serbian people.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Teen SOYO celebrated 45 years of Special Olympics Camp.