Ronaldo plays ball boy in Novak’s match
LONDON:NOVAK Djokovic’s comfortable win over John Isner may not have provided many moments of on-court drama that the capacity crowd would have craved for. However, spectators at the O2 Arena witnessed one of football’s biggest names momentarily serve as a ball boy in what turned out to be a onesided affair on the court.
Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was at hand when a wayward ball came rushing towards the crowd on the first row, where he was seated alongside Spanish model and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and son Cristiano Jr.
The footballing great caught hold of the ball on one occasion and missed it on another, much to the amusement of the fans at the stadium.
Ronaldo’s presence didn’t escape the notice to Djokovic, who remarked, “I had colours of his club on my attire tonight. I’m sure he was happy to see that.”
It is not the first time that Ronaldo has been seen on the sidelines of a tennis match. The former Real Madrid star has often been present during the Madrid Masters, a clay court event held ahead of the French Open, over the years.
Ronaldo also enjoys a close friendship with Rafael Nadal, whom he watched beat Djokovic in the semi-finals of Madrid last year.
“It is great to have big football star like him, courtside watching tennis. He used to come and watch Rafa, Roger (Federer) and myself in Madrid. He’s a fan of tennis,” said Djokovic.