Tennis star Novak Djokovic attended a Serbian Orthodox church service in Cincinnati just a day after suffering a surprise defeat at the Cincinnati Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion attended Divine Liturgy at St George Serbian Orthodox Church in College Hill on 16 August, according to parishioners and the church's priest.

Churchgoer Dragan Petrovic shared details of the unexpected visit on Facebook, saying Djokovic had driven himself to the small church.

"He lost the first round in the Cincinnati Open yesterday and today he went to Divine Liturgy at one of our smallest churches in America," Petrovic wrote.

Fr Andrej Pavlović, parish priest at St George, subsequently confirmed Djokovic's attendance to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Petrovic said worshippers were surprised by the appearance of the Serbian tennis star but were reluctant to disturb him during the service.

"The people were shocked and didn't know what to say or do (especially didn't want to interrupt him in prayer)," he wrote.

Djokovic reportedly offered to pose for photographs with members of the congregation after the service.

The visit came the day after Djokovic was knocked out of the Cincinnati Open by Argentina's Thiago Tirante in a surprise defeat.

It was Djokovic's first appearance at the tournament since 2023, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a marathon final lasting three hours and 49 minutes.

The Serbian has spoken publicly about his Orthodox Christian faith throughout his career and has previously described his relationship with God as a source of strength.

Following his defeat, the three-time Cincinnati champion suggested it may have been his final appearance at the tournament.

Asked whether he expected to return, Djokovic said: "I certainly hope so, but unfortunately, at this point it seems more likely that I won't. However, we'll see what the future holds."

Additional reporting from USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect