Novak Djokovic meets with F1 superstar Pierre Gasly, has unexpected childhood memory brought back after surprise reunion

Novak Djokovic attended a Qatar Airways meet on Thursday, November 28 to kickstart his partnership with the airline. He met French motorsports driver Pierre Gasly and caught up with a childhood friend.

To formally launch his collaboration with Qatar Airways, Djokovic visited Qatar's Altitude Wellness Centre. The airline giant has roped him in as its brand ambassador and wellness advisor.

The 24-time Major winner shared some highlights from his trip to Qatar via a series of Instagram stories. One featured him interacting with F1's Alpine driver Gasly, captioned:

"Great to chat to @pierregasly about our need... need for speed"

Screengrab of Novak Djokovic's Instagram story (@djokernole)

Another post featured the Olympic gold medalist with two Qatar Airways pilots:

"Tested out an A380 on the simulator. Think I'll leave it to these guys."

Screengrab of Novak Djokovic's Instagram story (@djokernole)

The Serb also had a surprise reunion with one of his childhood friends, who now serves in Qatar Airways as a captain. His friend showed him a childhood picture of the duo, all smiles at the Nikola Pilic Academy in Germany. The academy played a significant role in Djokovic honing his tennis skills growing up.

"Met the captain. Turns out we played together as kids. You won't believe the photo he showed me (swipe right)...," he wrote. "We haven't changed a bit, aged 12 and 14 at Niki Pilic tennis academy. Crazy coincidence. Great to see you again, my friend."

Screengrab of Novak Djokovic's Instagram story (@djokernole)

Screengrab of Novak Djokovic's Instagram story (@djokernole)

On the tennis front, the former World No. 1's disappointing 2024 season came to an underwhelming end as he pulled out of the Nitto ATP Finals with an unspecified injury.

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Novak Djokovic endured an uncharacteristically subpar season in 2024

Djokovic (Source: Getty)

After the successes of 2023 (three Grand Slam titles, two Masters 1000 triumphs, and a title at the year-end finals), Novak Djokovic produced several inconsistent displays in 2024. At the Australian Open, he looked shaky and was ultimately put to the sword by eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.

A shocking early exit from the 2024 BNP Paribas Masters prompted the Serb to part with coach Goran Ivanisevic. At the French Open, he reached the quarterfinals but was forced to withdraw from the claycourt Major after sustaining a knee injury that required surgery.

Djokovic returned at Wimbledon and reached the final, but was no match for Carlos Alcaraz in the final. His US Open campaign ended earlier than expected after a third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin. At the Shanghai Masters, he reached the final before another defeat by reigning World No. 1 Sinner.

The former World No. 1's only significant success came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he finally won the men's singles gold medal. Last week, he announced that his former rival Andy Murray would coach him to get him up to speed for the 2025 Australian Open.