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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray teamed up with several other ATP stars in a hilarious comedy video created by the ATP Tour, jokingly revealing how everything is scripted.
Over the last few years, the talk that all sports are scripted has intensified to the point that even athletes across all sports have started throwing around the "sports is scripted" jokes. Maybe because of that, the ATP came to the idea to create a comedy video titled "The Tour: A Reality Show."
Djokovic, who turned pro in 2003, has dominated tennis over the last decade and a half as he is the all-time Grand Slam record holder with his 24 Majors. But in the show, Bert Critchley - who plays Djokovic - explains how "none of it real" as players get their scripts before the season starts and then just go by that.
“So I’ve been part of this show for 16, 17 years, or ‘ATP Seasons’, as we call them,” Critchley (Djokovic) said in the video.
Further in the video, Critchley explains how he does his best to play Djokovic not only as an extremely successful player but also as someone with a personality.
“Something that I’m really trying to evoke with this Novak character is not just the performance and the achievements, but a bit more of an essence, a bit more personality, try to have people relate to him," Critchley (Djokovic) added.
“I want to bring truth to Novak. What is he thinking, what is he feeling? What would motivate him, if he was a real person?”
Murray: We try to make it all look natural
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, also took part in a hilarious video as he was played by Fraser McKnight. In the video, former world No. 1 Murray repeats Djokovic and confesses how everything is staged.
Explaining how people believe all of this is real, Murray remarks "people are stupid" and it is not really difficult to make them believe the ATP Tour is real.
“Yeah I mean, I think that’s what people don’t realize. Like, it’s all just scripted," McKnight (Murray) said.
“We usually get our storylines at the start of the year and we just try to make everything look natural.
“Let’s face it, people are stupid, so they’ll buy anything. We just try to make everything look real. And the viewers seem to love it.”
In the video, several other well-known players also make an appearance - Gael Monfils, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Stan Wawrinka, Francis Tiafoe, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Tour: A Reality Show 📺
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 7, 2024
52 seasons in the making, a look at the lives and loves of 'professional' tennis players as they serve nothing but drama, attitude and aces… 🎾#TheTour #GameServeDrama pic.twitter.com/LyrinuP5T5
On social media, the video quickly went viral as fans absolutely loved it and praised the ATP for a very creative comedy video they produced.
Djokovic: I was scripted to win the 2024 Australian Open
After seeing a very positive reaction to the comedy, Djokovic took to X to add more. In his post, Djokovic jokingly claimed something went wrong because his script at the start of the season read that he would be winning the 2024 Australian Open.
Djokovic, a record 10-time Australian Open champion, didn't defend his title at Melbourne Park this year. By losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinal, Djokovic picked up his first Australian Open semifinal defeat and also his first loss at Melbourne Park since 2018.
But according to Djokovic, that wasn't written in the script and he wants the director called.
"Normally the writers start the season with my character Novak winning the Australian Open title. So, for anyone that doesn’t like the beginning of this season, please contact the director," Djokovic wrote on X.
Normally the writers start the season with my character Novak winning the Australian Open title. So, for anyone that doesn’t like the beginning of this season, please contact the director 😂😂 @atptour
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) February 7, 2024
Meanwhile, Djokovic is currently out of action as he is still resting and recharging batteries. After finishing his Australian Open campaign a bit earlier than he anticipated, Djokovic went to Spain with his family. After some time in Spain, Djokovic also took his family on a winter holiday in South Tyrol.
While Djokovic was on a winter holiday, his coach Goran Ivanisevic confirmed that the world No. 1 won't be taking part in any tournaments in February. Instead, Djokovic will play again at the Indian Wells Masters in early March.
For Djokovic, it will be his first Indian Wells appearance since 2019 and also the first time that he is competing in the desert since the vaccine drama. In the past, Djokovic won five Indian Wells titles and there is no doubt that he will be among the top favorites for the title in his return to the desert this March.