Novak Djokovic jokingly banned Lionel Messi from asking for tennis advice, claiming the footballing icon would “end up dominating” that sport too. The Serbian returns to the court for the Australian Open next week with a first-round match against Pedro Martinez.

The 38-year-old has been a major icon in tennis for decades, winning 24 Grand Slams and Olympic gold across a 23-year career. However, Djokovic is adamant that one rookie star would’ve been “dominating” him if he had chosen tennis over football. Djokovic met Messi in 2023 after the Argentinian joined Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain.

The footballing icon bent Djokovic’s ear for some advice on improving his skills on the court but the Serbian shut this down immediately. He said: “I met Messi at a restaurant in the United States.

“He asked me for advice about tennis. I told him: ‘Please, Messi, don’t ask me that. I won’t give you any information. You dominate football, and now you want to dominate tennis. No, no, play football. When I retire, then you can play tennis.’

“He laughed and told me: ‘I’m lucky that football is played with the feet and not with the hands.’ But the truth is, I’m lucky Leo isn’t a tennis player, otherwise I wouldn’t win any titles. He’s the best football player of all time. I love watching him.”

Messi has had a complete career in football, winning countless league titles and European triumphs, and clinching the ultimate silverware with Argentina at the World Cup in 2022. He may fancy giving other sports a go, but Djokovic has put his foot down that he will have to retire before that happens.

Regarding retirement, former tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has told fans not to worry about Djokovic hanging up his racquet anytime soon. Writing on social media, he said: “Don’t worry about Novak. He’s gonna be ready for the Australian Open.

“First of all, I understand the people who are getting worried about Novak’s future, considering that he just withdrew from Adelaide, but I don’t think they should.

“It’s probably the last two years of Novak playing on tour. He’s still seeded quite high, so he will have the time at the Australian Open to have his level raised.”