Novak Djokovic repeatedly struck his own leg 11 times after falling 0-5 behind Arthur Rinderknech in the third set on Centre Court. The seven-time former champion had appeared firmly in command after claiming a two-set advantage, but his performance suddenly unravelled as the Frenchman grew increasingly aggressive, breaking twice to surge into a commanding lead.
Djokovic's Frustration Boils Over
The 39-year-old looked visibly agitated as he sat down during the changeover on a five-game losing run, stretching out his leg before repeatedly thumping it in an apparent bid to rouse himself. "Did not see this coming," Andrew Cotter told viewers on the BBC after Rinderknech stormed into a 5-0 lead within minutes. As the No.7 seed began hammering his thigh, Cotter winced and remarked: "Oof, hang on... That'll fix it."
Retired British player Kyle Edmund, who was also commentating, responded: "Not seen that technique before being used." Cotter went on to say: "On a serious point on him banging his leg, they are the things that will go when you're 39 years old. Just, you haven't quite got that acceleration, that movement, you're just starting to feel a little bit heavy."
Rinderknech's Dominant Set
Djokovic found himself 0-30 down while serving to remain in the set, edging perilously close to conceding his first-ever 'bagel' on grass. He managed to escape the danger and got a game on the board, before Rinderknech wrapped up the set 6-1 in a mere 18 minutes. The 25th seed closed out the set with an ace — his seventh of the set — prompting Tim Henman to tell viewers: "83 per cent first serves, seven aces, 93 per cent [first serves won]. Just fantastic stats all around. I mean, that's got to go down as one of Rinderknech's best sets of tennis in his career. 13 winners, two unforced errors. Happy days."
It marks only the eighth occasion that Djokovic has dropped a set 6-1 on grass. The select group of players to have 'breadsticked' him on this surface includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz.
Ongoing Leg Issue and BBC Apology
The left thigh continued to trouble the No. 7 seed into the fourth set. Holding a 2-1 lead on serve, he appeared to tap his racket against his leg once more while positioned at the baseline awaiting his return. Meanwhile, the BBC were forced into an apology during the match after a scoreboard malfunction. During the third set, the on-screen scoreboard located in the corner of viewers' TVs disappeared. BBC cameras were forced to go back and forth to the actual scoreboard inside Centre Court to keep people informed of the scoring. Cotter added: "Apologies for the lack of score graphic, we are working on it."
