Australian talent Dane Sweeny had a remarkable experience even before his Australian Open debut – a practice session with Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park. Sweeny, who later fought valiantly in a five-set loss to Francisco Cerundolo, shared his thoughts on the memorable encounter with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Sweeny expressed feeling initially intimidated by Djokovic’s legendary status but noted how the Serbian star quickly made him comfortable on the court. “Just his aura… And I was a little bit intimidated at the start, but Novak Djokovic made me feel so comfortable,” said Sweeny in his post-match press conference.

He described Djokovic joking around and complimenting his shotmaking, creating a relaxed atmosphere. “Yeah, just to have the greatest of all time on the other side of the net, yeah, it was a surreal experience,” he added.

Sweeny also revealed how the practice session with Djokovic materialized. Tennis Australia’s Paul Kilderry approached him on short notice, informing him that Djokovic was looking for a hitting partner. Despite already having a planned session, Sweeny eagerly accepted the chance to hit with Djokovic. “Without even asking Omar, I said, yep, I’ll take it,” he explained.