Novak Djokovic expressed his frustration with Wimbledon officials after they decided to close the roof on Centre Court during his quarter-final match against Felix Auger-Aliassime on July 7, 2026. The seven-time Wimbledon champion questioned the timing and consistency of the decision, which he described as 'perplexing'.
Djokovic's exchange with the match official
According to reports, Djokovic could be heard arguing with the match official after being informed of the roof closure. 'Why now? The other day you didn’t want to close it until like 8.30 but now you want to close it?' he said. 'You don’t want to get to 8.30? It’s 7.40 now, we could play a whole new set in that time.'
The Serbian star continued: 'I don’t care what happened with other matches. I’m talking about now. In the first round you didn’t close it until like 8.20 and now you want to close it at 7.40? Where’s the consistency?'
Criticism of Wimbledon's rule enforcement
Djokovic accused the tournament organisers of failing to adhere to their own regulations. 'You guys are so proud of your rules and you’re not sticking to any kind of rules. We have no idea what the rule is. This is an outdoor tournament,' he said.
The decision to close the roof came at 7:40 PM local time, with Djokovic arguing that there was still ample time to continue playing under open skies. The incident highlights ongoing debates about the enforcement of weather-related rules at Wimbledon, where the roof closure can significantly alter playing conditions.
Context and implications
Djokovic's outburst follows a pattern of player discontent over inconsistent roof policies at Grand Slam tournaments. The Wimbledon rulebook states that the roof may be closed to protect the court or due to weather conditions, but the timing of such decisions has often sparked controversy. This latest episode adds to the pressure on the All England Club to clarify and standardise its procedures.
