"I am honored to become a brand ambassador for Raiffeisen Bank International and to work with them on a project that is very important to me - my academy in Belgrade," said Novak Djokovic on Monday on social media. In the future, the Serb will represent the target markets of Central and Eastern Europe in particular.

With the help of the international bank, the Serb wants to set up an academy in his hometown of Belgrade, in which, in turn, young talents from Serbia are to be promoted. "They will help me to support young tennis players in their efforts to become champions both on and off the field," stated the world number one.

Djokovic at the home tournament at the start

Through the academy, Djokovic also wants to give something back to young players in his home country, as the 18-time Grand Slam champion emphasized: "Having a strong team by my side has made a big difference in my career. That's why I want one Also provide an environment for the future generation of players in my academy. "

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Djokovic is currently in Belgrade, where the Serbia Open - the home tournament of the industry leader - is taking place these days. As befits his standing, the 33-year-old will start the race as number one, while Italian Matteo Berrettini will start as number two. In the semifinals, Aslan Karatsev could be the man who the world number one had only defeated at the start of the year in the semifinals of the Australian Open.