Novak Djokovic has enlisted the help of a rising British player as he prepares for his return to the ATP Tour.
Djokovic was last seen retiring at the Six Kings Slam, but he’s expected to appear at his home tournament at the brand-new Hellenic Championships in Athens.
It is as-yet unclear whether Djokovic will play the ATP Finals after the Greek tournament, despite his qualification for the tournament.
Djokovic has been pictured practicing with a British player ahead of his return to tennis at the ATP 250 event.
Novak Djokovic’s new practice partner
British star Jacob Fearnley has posted a picture with Djokovic on his Instagram Stories, with the caption: “Thanks for the practice.”
The two men share some history on the Tour, having met in the second-round of Wimbledon in 2024 when Fearnley was just 23 years old.
Djokovic won the match on Centre Court, but Fearnley asserted himself against the 24-time Grand Slam champion by taking a set off the Serbian.
Fearnley has returned to the tour in recent weeks after troubles with injury, where he’s played the Paris Masters, the Stockholm Open, and the Vienna Open.
The British star is not currently confirmed for the Hellenic Championships, but his training session with Djokovic makes it likely that he will play the event.
The tournament will begin on November 2 and run until November 8, when the ATP Finals are set to begin.
Who are the seeds at the Hellenic Championships?
With ATP Finals qualification all but confirmed for the top players, there are no other players in the top eight confirmed for the Greek event other than Djokovic.
However, there are still some top stars on show for the inaugural tournament that is run by Djokovic’s family.
Home favourite Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to play the event along with top 20 players Karen Khachanov and Jiri Lehecka.
| Player | ATP Tour rank | Seed |
| Novak Djokovic | 5 | 1 |
| Karen Khachanov | 14 | 2 |
| Jiří Lehečka | 18 | 3 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 26 | 4 |
| Luciano Darderi | 27 | 5 |
| Brandon Nakashima | 33 | 6 |
| Alexandre Müller | 44 | 7 |
| Nuno Borges | 46 | 8 |
Elsewhere, the likes of Nuno Borges, Alexandre Muller, and Brandon Nakashima will be looking to crack the top 32 to earn seeded entry for the Australian Open.
