Novak Djokovic has been fined £6,100 (A$11,700) after smashing his racket against the net post during the Wimbledon men’s singles final, The Sun reports.
The Serbian, who was beaten in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz in his first loss on Centre Court for 10 years, was punished for “racket abuse” when he was crucially broken in the deciding set.
The world No 2, who banked A$2.3 million for being a runner-up, said: “It was frustration in the moment. He played amazing to break my serve, which was enough to win the fifth set.”
The final had a peak audience of 11.3 million on the BBC– the largest viewing figures since Andy Murray’s 2016 win topped 13.3 million.
Djokovic’s racket outburst was not the only time he tested the patience of the umpire during the tense final.
One lucky fan picked up the now iconic broken racket after the match.
Djokovic was also given a time violation when he took too long to serve during the second set – receiving a warning from the umpire for his behaviour.
Never a fan favourite on SW19, Djokovic was booed by the Wimbledon crowd for his tantrum that saw him smash his racket.
The £6,100 fine was the largest individual fine given out at this year’s tournament – making it a record for 2023.
It is however equalled by Mirra Andreeva, who received two fines during the tournament also totalling £6,100.
The 16-year-old Russian struggled to contain her temper throughout the tournament and was seen furiously punching herself during the early rounds.
She crashed out in the round of 16 when she gifted a match point to Maddison Keys.
Keys was awarded the point after Andreeva was judged to have thrown her racket to the ground after slipping by the umpire.
It was the second time she had experienced a racket related incident – having received a warning for throwing her racket across the grass earlier in the match.
Following her loss to Keys, Andreeva refused to shake hands with the umpire.
She received two fines worth A$5860 each for her conduct in the round of 16.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
