Novak Djokovic wishes Orthodox Christians around the globe a Merry Christmas

Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has wished Orthodox Christians worldwide a Merry Christmas.

Well, thanks to a decision made more than 400 years ago, not all Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25. There is a group called Orthodox Christians, who account for nearly 12% of all Christians worldwide.

These people celebrate Christmas a little later than everyone else, on January 7. Their celebration is distinct from the normal holiday in that it does not include Pagan traditions such as waiting for gifts from Santa Claus or decorating a tree. Instead, it concentrates on religious customs.

Being an Orthodox Christian himself, Djokovic celebrated the event at Adelaide's Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church and posted on Instagram to wish his fellow people a Merry Christmas. He wrote:

"The peace of God. The Christ has been born. Merry Christmas to all Orthodox nations who celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ today. Merry Christmas."

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"He's definitely one of the toughest players to play against" - Novak Djokovic on Daniil Medvedev ahead of their SF clash at United Cup 2023

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters.

Novak Djokovic began his 2023 season with a stellar showing at the Adelaide International 1. The Serb defeated Constant Lestienne, Quentin Halys, and Denis Shapovalov on his way to the semifinals, where he will face his archrival Daniil Medvedev once again.

In a press conference following his quarterfinal win over Shapovalov, the 21-time Grand Slam winner stated that based on previous encounters with Daniil Medvedev, he expects the match to be a close call, adding that he will have to be ready for a few rallies as they will play an evening match that will be a bit slower.

"Maybe it was 1 or 2 matches we played out of 12 in total where it went kind of straightforward one way. Most of the other matches were really close. So that's what I expect tomorrow as well, because conditions in the evening are played a bit different. It's a bit slower. So I guess there is going to be quite a few rallies and I have to be ready for that," Djokovic said.

The Serb went on to call Medvedev one of the "toughest players to play against," since he doesn't give away too many free points and has a strong service game.

"He doesn't give you too many free points, so to say. He's got a big serve, so he can cruise through his service games, but then he makes you work on your service games. He's definitely one of the toughest players to play against," he said.