Novak Djokovic is aiming for yet another Grand Slam title at the 2025 U.S. Open, but his mind and heart remain anchored at home. During his tournament press conference on Tuesday, the 24-time Grand Slam champion revealed a poignant truth: advancing further in the tournament means he will miss his daughter Tara’s eighth birthday. After his victory over American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, Djokovic finds himself in this exact predicament.

The Serbian tennis superstar transformed a lighthearted moment into a viral hit. In his post-match interview, the 38-year-old Djokovic astonished everyone with a performance that enchanted those at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium and took social media by storm. Channeling his inner K-pop star, he enacted the choreography from KPop Demon Hunters, the well-known Netflix film featuring a fictional K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, that battles demons and sets records. One of the film’s chart-toppers, “Soda Pop,” by the demon boy band Saja Boys, is currently positioned at no. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart and is a favorite of Tara’s.

“For Tara. Soda popping into semifinal,” he shared on X, accompanied by a photo capturing the moment on the court.

“This is a wonderful gift for her,” Djokovic expressed to the press with a grin following the match. “The dance at the end—she’s going to evaluate me tomorrow. She’s been teaching me how to dance… At home, we practice different choreographies [from the movie], and this is one of them, so hopefully I’ll bring a smile to her face when she wakes up tomorrow morning.”

This occurrence gave a rare insight into Djokovic’s life outside the court, where preparing for Grand Slam events sometimes takes a backseat to dance sessions with his daughter.

KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang shared Djokovic’s courtside interview, commenting, “Well, this is a lovely surprise.” She even responded directly to the tennis champion, expressing gratitude to him and Tara for the “KPDH love.” Arden Cho, the voice behind Rumi in the film, also enthusiastically reacted to the video, stating, “This was incredible!!! Let’s goooooo!!!”

The victory over Fritz elevates Djokovic’s 2025 record to 31-9 and ensures his position in the semifinals of every major event this season. Next up is a highly awaited match against world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, Sept. 5.