Novak Djokovic ‘cried’ as he secured his place in the Wimbledon men’s final after being verbally pelted by a mocking Wimbledon crowd.
The Serbian star made history as he beat Jannik Sinner in straight sets to secure his place in the 35th Grand Slam singles final, becoming the first player in history in which to do that. Whilst it was a positive afternoon for Djokovic when it comes to the result, things took a turn when it came to the crowd.
As the 36-year-old hunted the decisive set, he appeared to get agitated by one fan in particular. He stepped back from the baseline while preparing to serve before sarcastically clapping his hands above his head before he then held his thumb up.
That continued throughout the showdown as Djokovic saved two of Sinner’s break points. He then cupped his ear towards the crowd, an action that triggered an array of boos across Centre Court.
After holding, he then made another gesture to the particularly irritating member of the crowd and then pretended to cry as he cruised towards the Wimbledon final. Speaking earlier in the tournament, Djokovic actually admitted that he was able to harness any supporter abuse coming his way.
He claimed: “They’re actually doing me a favour. 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.”
