Game, set, Mets! Tennis star Djokovic swings by Citi Field

NEW YORK -- Upon dispatching Zachary Svajda in four sets at the U.S. Open on Wednesday night, Novak Djokovic found himself with a free afternoon in Queens. He spent it talking pitching mechanics with Sean Manaea.

Djokovic, the most decorated men’s tennis player of all time, used his off-day to head across the street to Citi Field, where he greeted Mets players, staffers and a small group of fans. Djokovic gifted Francisco Lindor a pair of Asics tennis shoes and Pete Alonso a signed racket. He even took some swings on the field and in the batting cage, where he swatted a few tennis balls before swapping out his racket for a baseball bat.

“It was very, very cool,” Manaea said. “The man’s a legend.”

Manaea admitted to being a little starstruck when Djokovic spent about 10 minutes chatting with him, peppering the left-hander with questions about pitching mechanics, the Mets’ playoff chances and everything in between. At one point, Djokovic compared Manaea to 6-foot-10 retired tennis player John Isner, who recorded more aces during his career than any other ATP pro.

When Djokovic began talking about the angles Isner created on the court, Manaea told him it sounded a lot like what pitchers call extension.

“It was crazy how similar the game of tennis [is to] pitching and hitting,” Manaea said. “He’s just an athlete. He’s been doing it for something like 20-plus years. He was just a very down-to-earth human being. Luckily, I got to meet him.”

The Mets have had other celebrity international athletes come through in the past, most notably Brazilian soccer star Neymar back in 2016. Tennis players tend to be common visitors to Citi Field around U.S. Open time.

But Djokovic, who has won more Grand Slam titles than any man in history, is on a different level. Even at 38 years old, he’s a threat to win this year’s Open as the No. 7 ranked player on tour -- something Alonso appreciates about him.

“For me, I look at him as a fellow competitor, just in a different arena,” Alonso said, adding that there’s a shared understanding and respect between high-level athletes.

“The amount of success he’s had over time, the consistency of it is impressive. And I admire that. Just the fact that he’s a tennis player doesn’t mean that there aren’t overarching similarities. There’s hard work, sacrifice, determination, travel, staying on top of not just your life on the court, but also juggling family life or off-the-court stuff. For him to keep it up and be that great for that long a time, it’s really cool to watch.”

Djokovic, who has won the US Open four times, is next scheduled to face Cameron Norrie in the third round Friday night. Arthur Ashe Stadium figures to be crowded for that one. Across the street, Citi Field will also be packed for rookie pitcher Jonah Tong’s debut.

Many New York sports fans will have their eyes on both events.

“I don’t really know too much about tennis, but I know who Novak Djokovic is,” Manaea said. “That’s how you know he’s good.”