French player Jules Marie, who previously worked as Djokovic's sparring partner, recently made shocking accusations about their past training experience, with Mali criticising the Serbian champion's poor behaviour on the training ground.

Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion is one of the most revered figures in tennis history, Mari claims that there is a clear difference in Djokovic's attitude in front of and behind the camera.

The 33-year-old French tennis professional, who has 130,000 followers on YouTube, shared his experience training with Djokovic during the 2021 French Open on Instagram show Match Point (which aired on March 17) and criticized the Serbian star for his lack of friendliness off camera.

Mari recalled that Djokovic always showed an unpleasant attitude in their interactions, describing him as "mean" behind the scenes: "When I was a sparring partner at Roland Garros [French Open], I played five training matches with Djokovic and each time he was mean. ”

In addition, the Frenchman also referred to another tense standoff with Djokovic, saying that training with him was like "walking on thin ice". Even a return from 1.5 metres away from Djokovic would have drawn a stern look from the Serbian star, as if to warn Mali not to make the same "mistake" again. In addition, Mari recalled a particular incident: when he served, Djokovic refused to receive the ball, saying that serving should be the coach's job. After the coach served, Djokovic actually hit the ball up to 50 meters, which confused Mali and bluntly said that the behavior was "completely unfriendly".

However, Mari pointed out that Djokovic's behaviour changed significantly at the Australian Open the following year, and he believes that the presence of cameras made the Serbian star restrain his attitude from showing his "mean" side.

He further added: "On the other hand, at the Australian Open, I was no longer a sparring partner, but a full-fledged player. So things were different, and he knew I had a YouTube channel. Also, we were filmed and there were cameras present, so he couldn't act so mean. ”

After an unexpected exit in the first round of the Indian Wells Open, Djokovic is set to play at the 2025 Miami Open. In the opening round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, the Serbian star battled Dutchman Van der Shanschulp in a hard-fought three-set battle.

On March 21, Novak Djokovic will face Australia's Rinki Hijikata in the second round of the Miami Open. The pair have only met once before, winning in straight sets in the first round of the Brisbane International 2025 to maintain a 1-0 lead.

Djokovic's dedication to tennis has long been well known, and his former rival, Andy Murray, who is now a coach, agrees. Murray points to Djokovic's dedication to self-improvement and his serious approach to training as important factors in his emergence as a tennis legend.

'The best players take training seriously and they want to improve. It's not always easy, it's challenging. But when you break through in training and feel better, that reward is invaluable. Murray said.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)