The Olympic gold medallist has been spotted playing a Storioni viola with Julian Rachlin and Sarah McElravy, while on holiday in Croatia

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Sarah McElravy and Julian Rachlin look on while Novak Djokovic plays a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola

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With 24 grand slam titles to his name and now finally an Olympic gold medal, culminating in the much-revered ‘Career Golden Slam’, tennis player Novak Djokovic has been trying his hand at a new skill by playing the viola.

Djokovic has been celebrating in the south of Croatia following his long-awaited victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On the island of Vrnik, near Korčula, husband-and-wife string duo Julian Rachlin and Sarah McElravy organised a short impromptu concert in a church to honour Djokovic and his family.

Djokovic took McElravy’s 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola and with some guidance, played a duet with Julian Rachlin on his 1704 ‘ex-Liebig’ violin. Both instruments are on loan from Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung in Vienna.

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Julian Rachlin, Sarah McElravy, Jelena Djokovic and Novak Djokovic

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Djokovic has been mimicking playing the violin as a post-match victory celebration, revealing that the gesture was in honour of his six-year-old daughter Tara, who has been learning the violin for six months.

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Nole’s bow hold has improved since this photo was taken at Wimbledon 2024

The Serbian tennis player has described his Olympic gold medal victory as his greatest career achievement, having finally achieved the accolade in his fifth Olympic Games. He won the bronze medal in Beijing 2008 but was unable to secure the gold in subsequent games. On Sunday 4 August 2024, Djokovic claimed victory over Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, winning 7-6(3) 7-6(2).

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In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

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The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

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American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.

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