There was a bizarre start to Novak Djokovic’s opening match at the Madrid Open when a walking robot took to the main stadium court while the players waited in the wings. In previous years, the tournament has used a robo-dog to bring the balls to the court. But they took things up a notch for 2025.
Ballkids formed a walkway at the entrance to the Manolo Santana Stadium as the two-legged robot stepped onto the court and delivered some balls for the match before pacing around and waving to the fans. When it left, Djokovic and his opponent, Matteo Arnaldi, finally came out for their contest.
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