The star-studded evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday also featured former India captain MS Dhoni, who was among the spectators during Novak Djokovic’s US Open 2025 quarterfinal clash against Taylor Fritz. The Serb won in four sets to reach the semifinal.
The 44-year-old, who retired from international cricket in 2020, was spotted during the second men's singles quarterfinal match in New York. Businessman Hitesh Sanghvi later shared a picture with Dhoni and a clip from Djokovic's match on his Instagram account.
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Djokovic got past Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Despite his reduced appearance in this season, the 38-year-old has reached at least the semifinal in all four majors. Next up is Carlos Alcaraz, whom he beat to clinch the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year, and then knocked him out of the Australian Open quarterfinals in January this year. In fact, he holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against the 22-year-old, who reached the semifinals for the ninth time in his Grand Slam career. Only Rafael Nadal, with 10, has more before turning 23.
{{/usCountry}}Djokovic got past Fritz 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Despite his reduced appearance in this season, the 38-year-old has reached at least the semifinal in all four majors. Next up is Carlos Alcaraz, whom he beat to clinch the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year, and then knocked him out of the Australian Open quarterfinals in January this year. In fact, he holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against the 22-year-old, who reached the semifinals for the ninth time in his Grand Slam career. Only Rafael Nadal, with 10, has more before turning 23.
{{/usCountry}}Dhoni, meanwhile, has made the headlines in Indian cricket after an old interview with Irfan Pathan resurfaced on social media. In it, the former all-rounder discussed the communication gap regarding his exclusion from the national side.
“Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai's statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn't bowling well. I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai,” Pathan had said in the interview with Sports Tak.
He further remarked, “I don't have a habit of setting up hookah in someone's room or talking about this. Everyone knows. Sometimes if you don't speak about it, it's better. A cricketer's job is to perform on the field and that is what I used to focus on."
Although Dhoni has yet to address the claims, Pathan reacted on X saying: "Half decade old video surfacing NOW with a twisted context to the Statement. Fan war? PR lobby?"