Aaron Rodgers was among those in the crowd to watch Novak Djokovic advance to the US Open quarterfinals with a straight sets win against Borna Gojo.
The New York Jets’ star quarterback made the short trip to Flushing Meadows and admitted it was a dream of his to watch the world No. 2 in the flesh.
Rodgers took to Instagram to upload a series of stories throughout his day at the US Open alongside some of his Jets teammates. One story included a picture of Djokovic in action and the caption: “Bucket list [green tick emoji] being able to witness the greatness of @djokernole in person at #arthurashestadium”.
Rodgers, who last year admitted to misleading the media about his Covid-19 vaccination status, also commented on Djokovic’s well-known stance on Covid vaccines, adding: “[Goat emoji] #novaxdjokovic,” and crossing out the Moderna advertising that was on display.
Djokovic, who is unvaccinated against Covid-19, is playing at the US Open for the first time since 2021 after the Covid vaccine requirement for non-US travelers was lifted earlier this year.
Djokovic didn’t disappoint with football royalty in the crowd and breezed past his opponent with ease. The 23-time grand slam winner took the victory 6-2 7-5 6-4 in two hours and 26 minutes.
The Serbian is looking to win his first US Open since 2018 and his performances throughout the championship so far would suggest he has every opportunity to reclaim the title.
Djokovic will take on home crowd favorite Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals and the 36-year-old believes it will be a challenge.
“Taylor has been an established Top 10 player for the past couple of years and he’s been playing some terrific tennis, particularly on home soil in hard-court tournaments here in the States,” Djokovic said postgame, per the ATP.
“He’s improved so much over the years. Obviously the matches will only get tougher from here onwards, and I’m ready for the challenge.”