Djokovic is King of the Slopes in Dubai

Dubai, UAE, March 4th, 2008: Champion on the court, king of the slopes off it! Serbian Novak Djokovic visited Ski Dubai – the world’s largest snow park at 3,000 square metres – on Sunday, where he showcased the skiing skills he learnt as a child, prior to the start of the 2008 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

Djokovic inherited his love for skiing from his father, a former champion skier, and his mother who also gave lessons as an instructor at the ‘Genex’ school in Kopaonik.

“I took up skiing before I learnt to play tennis at the age of four,” explained Djokovic. “Skiing is a great sport, it’s a lot of fun and it’s my biggest passion.

“It is something I have done all my life, but of course it isn’t recommended for tennis players to ski because of the possibility of injury. I have never been scared on the slopes and have always been careful.”

With five runs that vary in difficultly, height and steepness Djokovic tested his skills at Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East.

“It’s great,” said Djokovic. “It’s Dubai, a hot climate and you come here and it is minus degrees and snowing so you don’t have a feeling you are in Dubai. Even though it’s a short slope, it is fantastic.”

Djokovic, who captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January having finished runner-up at the US Open in September 2007, is the third seed at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this week.

“It’s a very special situation this year, as you have eight of the top 10 players competing here,” said Djokovic. “It’s is an extremely strong competition and a big challenge for the players to prove their quality and try to progress at the tournament.

“We are having fun off the court, but as soon as I start preparing for my first match my focus will be on the tennis. In fact, I would recommend this kind of preparation to my opponents, especially to go on the more difficult slope!”

The 20-year-old Serbian is scheduled to meet Marin Cilic of Croatia in the first round on Tuesday evening. Last year, the world number three lost to Roger Federer on his debut at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, the owners and organizers of the award-winning event, was delighted to welcome Djokovic back to Dubai.

McLoughlin said: “Having the Australian Open champion competing in Dubai is wonderful for the event and adds extra interest to what will be a great week of tennis.”

“We are pleased to see the players are enjoying themselves away from the court as well and that’s what makes playing in Dubai so special for the players and why we see them returning year after year.”