Novak Djokovic pretends to cry after Wimbledon boos as Jannik Sinner match turns nasty
Novak Djokovic was fired up in the third set with the Wimbledon crowd turning on him.
Novak Djokovic mimicked crying in the middle of Centre Court after being booed by the Wimbledon crowd in a tense moment of his semi-final clash against Jannik Sinner. The Serbian tennis icon had already been disrupted earlier in the match by chair umpire Richard Haigh for a hindrance call and a time violation on serve.
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Djokovic managed to shrug both incidences off as he raced to a two-set lead in barely over 90 minutes. It was a much closer contest in the third set as Sinner battled to stay in the match with neither player giving much away.
That was until the 10th game with Djokovic on serve when Sinner managed to put himself in a position for two set points. The Centre Court crowd were lapping it up as they got behind Sinner to try and prolong the match even further.
Djokovic appeared agitated by one supporter in particular though as he stepped back from the baseline while preparing to serve, sarcastically clapping his hands above his head and holding his thumb up.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion then managed to save both break points before cupping his ear in the direction of the spectator. That didn't go down well with the Wimbledon crowd, who reacted by booing the Serb.
Clearly fired up, Djokovic managed to eventually hold and he made one more gesture on court to the fan who had irritated him. The 36-year-old mimicked the hate he received, pretending to cry as the atmosphere inside Centre Court appeared to turn against him.
Djokovic eventually went on to win the third set tiebreak to reach his ninth Wimbledon final. And the Serbian icon has admitted in the past that, if the crowd starts turning against him, he's able to use that as motivation to find another level.
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“They’re actually doing me a favour,” Djokovic said earlier in the tournament. “The more they root against me, the better off I am. With me, they wake up to something they might not want to see – a winner.
“As a player, you want to have the majority of the audience on your side. I don’t want to play in a belligerent atmosphere. However, that’s how it is in most matches in my career, that they cheer for the other.
“It was decided by fate, and that’s fine. Sometimes it’s harder for me to accept it, sometimes I don’t understand the audience and their behaviour, but they have the right. Someone [may] be a little more daring and allow themselves to do something more from the stands, but then they have to expect my reaction.
“This has happened in the past, at major tournaments all over the world. It gives me fuel and additional motivation, it inspires me to play even better.”
