Novak Djokovic celebrates U.S. Open win with 'KPop Demon Hunters' dance
Novak Djokovic may be chasing yet another Grand Slam title at the 2025 U.S. Open, but his mind — and his moves — are never far from home. And KPop Demon Hunters.
During his tournament press conference on Tuesday, the 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed a bittersweet truth: advancing deep into the competition would mean missing his daughter Tara's eighth birthday. And after a quarterfinal victory over American hopeful Taylor Fritz, Djokovic now finds himself in exactly that position.
But the mercurial Serbian tennis superstar turned a rare moment of levity into a viral one.
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In his post-match interview, 38-year-old Djokovic delivered a surprise performance that lit up New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium and social media. Channeling his inner K-pop idol, he broke into the fizzy choreography from KPop Demon Hunters, the wildly popular Netflix film in which a fictional K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, battles demons and breaks records. One of the film's catchiest hits, "Soda Pop," from dreamy demon boy band the Saja Boys, currently sits at no. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart — and no. 1 in Tara's heart, apparently.
"For Tara. Soda popping into semifinal," he posted on X, along with a photo of the picture-perfect moment on the court.
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"This is a big present for her," Djokovic told press with a grin after the match. "The dance at the end — she’s going to rate me tomorrow. Because she told me how to dance... We're at home doing different choreographies [from the movie], and this is one of them, so hopefully I'll make her smile when she wakes up tomorrow morning."
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The moment offered a rare glimpse into Djokovic’s off-court life, where Grand Slam prep sometimes takes a backseat to dance rehearsals with his daughter.
KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang reposted Djokovic's courtside interview, adding, "Well, this is a nice surprise." She even replied directly to the tennis star, thanking him and Tara for the "KPDH love." Arden Cho, the voice of Rumi in the film, also excitedly reacted to the clip, posting, "This was incredible!!! Let’s goooooo!!!"
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The win over Fritz improves Djokovic’s 2025 record to 31-9 and secures his place in the semifinals of every major this season. Up next? A blockbuster clash with world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, Sept. 5 — a match fans have been waiting for.
Crystal Bell is the Culture Editor at Mashable. She oversees the site's coverage of the creator economy, digital spaces, and internet trends, focusing on how young people engage with others and themselves online. She is particularly interested in how social media platforms shape our online and offline identities.
She was formerly the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped the brand expand its coverage of extremely online fan culture and K-pop across its platforms. You can find her work in Teen Vogue, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet.
She's exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie.
