The worlds of tennis and cricket collided most unexpectedly in 2024. In January, fans were treated to an entertaining event called A Night with Novak and Friends in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic teamed up with Australian cricket star Steve Smith on the tennis court and even tried his hand at cricket. Djokovic couldn’t help but laugh when he sent the ball into the stands while batting. On the other hand, he was genuinely impressed with Smith’s tennis chops, especially his forehand return. Now, fast forward to 2025, and it seems Djokovic is still in the mood to blend sports. This time, he’s giving tennis tips to none other than a British cricket legend, Kevin Pietersen.

The Serbian is coming off a great run at the Miami Open, where he came close to victory in the final but was denied by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik. Djokovic is now preparing for his clay season debut in Monaco at the Monte Carlo Masters. But while he is doing that, he is still finding time to coach British cricket player Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen, who is currently vacationing in the Maldives, posted a video of himself playing tennis on Instagram. He captioned it with a cheeky question: “Is there a specific breathing technique that helps with grunting on the tennis court? 🤣🤣 cc @andymurray or @djokernole ?!”

The 37-year-old saw it and couldn’t resist replying. On his Instagram story, he wrote, “Intensity is there.. I just think you won’t breathe much at all after few more of these kind of grunts 😂😂😂”

This little exchange wasn’t just fun banter. It reflected the bond they’ve shared over the years. The former captain of the England team has publicly supported Djokovic multiple times when the tennis star faced heavy criticism, especially back in 2022 during the Australia vaccine saga.

To jog your memory, the former World No.1 was deported from Australia in 2022 after his visa was revoked for not meeting the country’s federal COVID-19 requirements. It led to a massive debate worldwide. Pietersen came out strongly in support of him.

In May 2024, Pietersen wrote, “It’s time for every single person [who criticised Djokovic] and the Australian government to issue an apology to Novak Djokovic now.” He even backed Djokovic’s controversial decision to skip the vaccine, stating the Serbian was “onto something.” Pietersen made this statement on X when the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was pulled from circulation.

Their bond was visible again earlier this year.

Djokovic pulled out of his semifinal against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, citing injury. Many fans were skeptical and even booed him. To set the record straight, Djokovic later posted his CT scan and MRI to prove he had a muscle tear. Pietersen, again, jumped to his defense.

“Many straight shooters who question the status quo are frowned upon by the media. Sickening that the greatest player of all time has to post a scan of his hamstring. I know Novak to be kind, caring, thoughtful, intelligent and incredibly compassionate for other people,” Pietersen posted on X.

While Djokovic is giving coaching advice, his own coach, Andy Murray, is taking a break from this tournament. The Serbian will be instead supported by his younger brother, Marko. He’s chasing his 100th career title, but there’s a small hiccup in his preparation—an eye infection that has been bothering him since Miami.

Novak Djokovic gives an update on his eye injury

Novak Djokovic was seen with a swollen eye before the final in Miami and chose not to comment on it back then as he did not want to take away from Mensik’s victory. A week later, the 24-time Grand Slam champ confirmed that the eye infection almost threatened his chances of playing in the Monte-Carlo Masters.

“It started on semi-finals day in Miami and I did struggle with it in the final, but it’s calming down, I guess,” Djokovic said. “I’m visiting the doctor later today, so let’s see. It should be okay.”

“I was going to be here with the family anyway. I wanted to give myself the best chance to play in the tournament. I have a few more days until the eventual first round. I am still trying to get used to the clay; still managing a few things health wise. Hopefully, I’ll be ready.”

So while Djokovic balances recovery, rivalry, and racket-swapping with cricketers, fans can expect an adventurous clay season ahead. Will the Serbian legend grab his 100th title despite the new generation chasing him down?