Despite going through the rigors of preparing for the 2024 Australian Open, World No.1 Novak Djokovic took some time off to interact with YouTuber and longtime fan, Jules Marie prior to the Grand Slam event.
Marie is an aspiring tennis player from France who also runs a YouTube channel, with over 100,000 subscribers. The Frenchman made it to the Australian Open qualifiers, where he defeated compatriot and former World No.18 Benoit Paire in the first round before being eliminated in the next round of qualifying.
Video surfaces of Djokovic practicing with Marie in Melbourne
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was seen practicing with Marie in a video released to the latter's channel. The Serbian has in fact practiced with the Frenchman in the past, as Marie hit with the World No.1 prior to the 2021 French Open.
Following their most recent session, Djokovic gave a small interview in French. He acknowledged that he was aware of Marie's YouTube channel, before giving his predictions about the 2024 Australian Open. The 36-year old believed young players could make some noise at the tournament, and also spoke about his adoration for playing at Rod Laver Arena, saying that it feels like home.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
Remember tennis player/YouTuber Jules Marie?
Well, it turns out Novak Djokovic knew all about his YouTube channel (!) and reached out to practice during the week of Australian Open qualifying (!!)
They had a quick interview in French afterwards.
Amazing gesture @DjokerNole 👏