From Novak Djokovic to Roger Federer, the starry social media lives of tennis stars

Novak Djokovic (6.9m followers on Instagram; 8.7m followers on Twitter): The Dubai Duty Free Men’s Tennis Championships is playing out for Novak Djokovic as a resident of the UAE with his newly minted 10-year residency gold card.

Djokovic may hold the number one ranking in ATP, but on social media, he’s been served up by Roger Federer. While Djokovic’s Instagram profile is a tribute to his tennis career, there are some hidden gems that give fans a better insight into the Serbian’s early life.

Djokovic grew up in small farming community of Brzece. A recent trip down memory lane took him back to his old childhood haunt. “Thankful for this humbling experience in Brzece. These people are kind, genuine, hard working... My heart is full from reviving some childhood memories. I keep on meeting people that have been part of my growing up and have helped me live my dream as a tennis player. Very grateful and touched. And I got a few free potatoes as well for effort,” posted Djokovic.

Roger Federer (7.3m followers on Instagram; 12.6m followers on Twitter): With less than half the Instagram posts by Djokovic, Federer still gains match point in the social media popularity stakes.

Not one to share much about his personal life on social media, Federer has used the platform extensively to push forth his charitable causes.

As part of the Roger Federer Foundation, the tennis ace uses his popularity to support educational projects in southern Africa and Switzerland. The programmes on the African continent focus on the improvement of the quality of early learning and basic education and in Switzerland on the promotion of extra-curricular activities for children affected by poverty. Going by Federer’s post, the tennis player is very much involved in the foundation and its projects.

Stephanos Tsitsipas (850k followers on Instagram; 155.7k followers on Twitter): He may have a considerably lower following on social media compared to Djokovic or Federer, but Stephanos Tsitsipas packs in twice the fun in his Instagram posts.

Did you know, Tsitsipas absolutely loves spending time in Oman? We didn’t until we checked out his dreamy photoshoot in the desert sands of the neighbouring country.

Tsitsipas has only just returned to social media after revealing last November that he took a break from the online world as it was ‘stressing him out’. Speaking to Tennis365, Tsitsipas said at the time he avoided posting too much to concentrate more on the sport he loves. “I was saying that to my coach, Patrick Mouratoglou this morning. He was checking on his Instagram feed and I said to him that this is stressing me out, watching posts from other people,” said Tsitsipas. “He was just scrolling through his messages I was trying to not look at his phone at all. It’s kind of a new phobia that developed in me (smiling). I feel like I don’t need it at all. I have been thinking about a lot of things when I’m out on the court and also what happened in social media. It’s a waste of energy for my brain and for my thinking.”

Gael Monflis (623k followers on Instagram; 724.7k followers on Twitter): The player has come a long way since he was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2005. But if his social media profile is anything to go by, tennis isn’t his only love.

The French tennis player clearly enjoys travelling, while his love for rap and R’n’B is clear through his image of hanging out at the mural of Notorious B.I.G. Oh and did we tell you he’s a comic book fan — Marvel comics really.

Fabio Fogini (535k followers on Instagram; 110.4k followers on Twitter): The family man’s Instagram profile is a dream.

Peppered with pictures of his two adorable children, Fabio Fogini is coming to Dubai nursing an injury. In a post put up earlier this week, the tennis player wrote: “I’m afraid I’m going to have to pull out of Marseille next week. My left calf is still injured. I hope to recover in time for Dubai.” We hope so too Fogini. But until then, fans can certainly enjoy his crazy adventures with animals on his Instagram feed.