Novak Djokovic erupted in anger at a camera operator during his third-round French Open match against Joao Fonseca on Friday afternoon. The Serbian star had just secured the second set to take a two-set lead over his Brazilian opponent, 6-4 6-4, when he let his frustration boil over.
As he walked to his chair, Djokovic addressed the cameraperson, saying: "Please can you come more into my face? For God's sake, make some space." The outburst reportedly led to the cameraperson being removed from Court Philippe Chatrier, according to commentator Nick Millins.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Millins said: "I've just been spending some time watching the poor old cameraman who got it in the face from Novak after he got it in the face lense-wise. Cedric Mourier, one of the assistant referees, just came out to make the point to the courtside cameraman that 'you can get close but you can only get that close'. That cameraman has now been substituted, there is a new cameraman there."
Djokovic's Grand Slam Ambitions
Djokovic is pursuing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros. His hopes of a fourth French Open crown received a significant boost following the early exit of world number one Jannik Sinner on Thursday. Sinner squandered a two-set and 5-1 lead in the third set to lose to world number 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo, appearing to struggle physically.
Former world number one Djokovic now stands as the sole remaining Grand Slam winner in the draw. Should he triumph in Paris, he would become the oldest man to win a major title in the Open Era.
Recent Performances and Confidence
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not claimed a major title since the 2023 US Open. However, he came close in Australia in February, defeating Sinner in the semi-finals before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Djokovic expressed confidence in his chances, stating at a pre-tournament press conference: "I am not really thinking about if I have better chances or not with Carlos being here or not being here, because I feel that if I'm healthy and I'm able to maintain that level of freshness throughout the tournament... then I feel like I always have a very good chance. I have proven that in Australia this year where I was close to winning another slam. I always have that belief in myself when I'm on the court."
