This is the exact moment Novak Djokovic decided to kick the Wimbledon crowd’s ass.
On a day of high drama, the seven-time Wimbledon champion was booed by the centre court crowd and was also visibly fuming after an “absurd” hindrance penalty that left tennis commentators in disbelief.
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The world No. 2 powered into his ninth Wimbledon final as the fiery defending champion feuded with the umpire and spectators before beating Jannik Sinner to reach a record 35th Grand Slam singles title match.
Djokovic was in combative mood during a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) semi-final victory that moved him closer to a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title.
The 36-year-old will face world number one Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. Alcaraz, just 20 years old, is the reigning US Open champion.
The ugly scenes during Djokovic’s semi-final victory show that Alcaraz will be the crowd favourite in the most highly anticipated showdown of the 2023 season.
The Serbian has caused a storm of controversy after he was seen mocking the Wimbledon crowd during a moment of tense drama during the second set.
Firstly, he was docked a point for hindrance following a loud grunt which accompanied a down the line backhand.
Umpire Richard Haigh then handed him a code violation for taking too long between points.
“The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group,” said Djokovic, the first player, man or woman, to reach 35 finals at the Slams.
“It’s probably the first time it’s happened to me, I don’t normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect.”
Despite that double blow, Djokovic still claimed the set courtesy of his seventh ace of the contest against a player who took a two-sets lead against him in the quarter-finals last year before the champion pulled through in five.
Djokovic squandered three break points in the third game of the third set, then saved two set points in the 10th game.
It reached a crescendo when a member of the crowd was heard loudly cheering as Djokovic was about to serve while trying to save a break point.
He turned on his tormentors in the crowd, who were loudly supporting Sinner, by feigning mock tears after he dashed their hopes of a breakthrough for the Italian.
Djokovic then dominated the tie-break to preserve his 10-year undefeated record on Centre Court.
He was a man possessed after that and did not seem one bit flustered by the crowd cheering against him on a court where he has not been beaten in 10 years with a record of 45 consecutive wins on the iconic court.
Tennis commentators have described Djokovic’s gesture as a moment of maturity from the 36-year-old.
Leading tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote on Twitter: “Djokovic suddenly running out of f***s to give about the Centre Court crowd is a joy to behold, and very overdue”.
Tennis reporter Tumaini Carayol posted: “Djokovic just taunted the Centre Court crowd by pretending to cry. Good stuff”.
Tennis journalist Carole Bouchard wrote Djokovic’s gesture was an act of telling them to “Get the f*** out”.
Other fans have taken to Twitter to claim Djokovic’s mocking act went too far.
Djokovic was not in a mood for suffering fools and was also happy to let chair umpire Richard Haigh know about his feelings after being penalised a point.
The stunned champ instantly sank to the floor of Centre Court before approaching the umpire demanding to know: “What are you doing?”
Former British tennis star Tim Henman, commenting on the BBC, said: “I’ve never seen that before”.
Former Australian star Todd Woodbridge replied: “I feel like (the umpire has) been waiting to make that call for a while.”
“That’s absurd,” John McEnroe said succinctly on ESPN.
After clinching the match, and his ticket to the final, Djokovic addressed the hindrance call on the BBC.
He said it “could have changed the course of the match” as he “felt really nervous after that call”.
But Djokovic said he managed to “regroup” after what he claimed was the first hindrance call he’d been subject to in his entire career.
“It’s never happened to me, I don’t normally have an extended grunt,” he said.
“Maybe it was an echo from the roof or something like this,” he added to laughs from the crowd.
“I don’t actually feel like I was causing any hindrance to my opponent, but OK. But it’s a call I have to respect”.
Ticket to final
The Serb will tie Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns if he wins on Sunday.
Djokovic’s latest milestone — his record 35th Grand Slam final — took him past American legend Chris Evert, but he has an even more significant feat in his sights.
With 23 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, the world number two is aiming to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.
Djokovic has already won this season’s Australian Open and French Open as he chases an astonishing clean-sweep of all four Grand Slam events in a single year, with the US Open to come in August.
“I feel 36 is the new 26, it feels pretty good. I feel a lot of motivation,” he said of his longevity.
“This sport has given me and my family a lot. I will return a favour to this sport and play as much as I can.”
— with AFP
