Novak Djokovic's 11-year-old son, Stefan, stole the spotlight at Wimbledon during his father's third-round clash against Yibing Wu on Centre Court. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was locked in a tense battle late in the third set when Stefan's exuberant celebrations caught the attention of the BBC commentary team, including John McEnroe.
Djokovic's Son Brings Energy to Centre Court
With the match tied at one set apiece and 4-4 in the third, Djokovic grew irritated as the crowd chanted "Wuuuuuu" in support of Wu, seemingly hoping for a five-set thriller. As he has done many times before at SW19, Djokovic raised his game in response to the partisan crowd, holding serve to take a 5-4 lead and placing his finger to his ear.
In his box, Stefan—sporting a backwards cap and awake well past his usual bedtime—reacted with pure joy. He started with a fist bump before swinging his arm backwards and forwards in sheer excitement while yelling.
Commentators Amused by Stefan's Passion
BBC commentator Andrew Cotter remarked: "[Chuckles] Stefan! Like father, like son. Easy Stefan." John McEnroe added: "That is impressive energy. Carlos started that, but a lot of guys are following in his footsteps."
Stefan, an enthusiastic tennis player, regularly accompanies his father on practice courts when they visit tournaments. However, Novak, 39, has said he does not pressure his son to follow in his footsteps.
Djokovic on His Son's Tennis Future
"I'm not forcing him to play tennis. I never did that. Not a single day have I told him you have to do this," Djokovic has previously explained. "It's really purely his own desire to step on the court. Of course, I'll be thrilled if he plays tennis. He shouldn't feel any of the pressure or expectations yet, even though he's going to because it's part of his family, I guess."
He added: "Obviously, we had a chat about the routines and the things he should do. You have to speak in their language about things that I feel like it could help him. He was showing me forehands and backhands, how he's going to move tomorrow, kind of shadowing, playing shadow tennis. I try to take that energy, childish energy, and fuel my inner child because I tend to forget about my inner child a lot. Everything is so serious. It's your profession. It's your job."
