WATCH: College player gives Novak Djokovic a tough practice session ahead of Indian Wells return

Novak Djokovic is counting down to his first appearance on the regular ATP Tour in 2024 and at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and he was given a challenging workout as he took on a young American college player.

The challenge of facing the world No 1 is daunting for any player, yet Govind Nanda appeared to relish the challenge as he traded blows with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

At the age of 23, Nanda cannot be classed as a youngster, but he is certainly youthful compared to his illustrious opponent and it was clear that he was not intimidated by the Serbian legend.

Footage posted on social media channels showed Nanda competing in some impressive rallies with Djokovic, as the world No 1186 Nanda confirmed his ability to challenge the best in the game.

Nanda has an all-time career singles ranking high of No 339 in late 2022, but that has dipped a little in recent times as he doesn’t appear to have played too many top tier tournaments since the middle of 2023.

Despite that, he appeared to be competing impressively with Djokovic in rallies that instantly went viral on social media platforms.

Predictably, most of the footage appearing online showed the points Nanda won, with Djokovic letting out a telling chuckle when he was lobbed by his sparring partner at one point in the exchange.

Nanda even gave a telling smile when he looked up and saw the camera filming his knock with Djokovic, which is certain to have been a highlight of his time on court.

The strapping on Nanda’s left leg may be a sign that he is still not fully fit and his record on the ITF tennis websites suggests he has not played too many tournaments in recent months.

Yet he is a name that has been spoken about in American tennis circles for many years, as he represented the USA Junior Davis Cup team as he made his way through the ranks.

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He clearly has a game that can give the best player in the world something to think about, but it is safe to assume he didn’t mention to Djokovic that his favourite player in tennis is his great rival, Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic relishes the chance to give youngsters a chance to take him on and he famously agreed to have a hit with a young Holger Rune after an improbable request back in 2021.

Novak Djokovic is the World No. 1,” Rune told TV 2 Sport at the time.

“I wrote to him on Instagram, to be completely honest. (To check) whether he was in Monaco or in the area because I saw that he had withdrawn from Miami. Then he wrote back.”

Of course, this would not be a one-off meeting with Djokovic for Rune, as he managed to beat the Serbian great just over a year later in a thrilling 2022 Paris Masters final.

“I actually like that Novak is still here because you know for us young players to really see what the real world is in a way, what the real deal is, you know,” Rune subsequently told the Advantage Connors podcast.

“If you never experience Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) or Novak, I think we would miss something and I think Novak is like extremely high standard and I think for us so close to see that is very helpful.”

Djokovic spoke about his experience hitting with junior players, as he suggested it was a chance to give them an uplifting experience and get an insight into the game’s rising stars.

“It is always good to hit with junior players,” said Djokovic at a Wimbledon press conference in 2022.

“It’s a good experience for them and you also get a chance to see some of the best young players coming through.”