Novak Djokovic experienced a frightening moment during his fourth-round Wimbledon match against Roman Safiullin on Sunday, as he accidentally struck the umpire's chair with a ball, sparking fears of a disqualification similar to his 2020 US Open incident.
Incident on Centre Court
The incident occurred early in the match, during the third game. Djokovic attempted to return the ball to a ball boy after a let was called on Safiullin's serve, but misjudged his aim, sending the ball cannoning into the umpire's seat. An audible gasp rippled through Centre Court as spectators recalled Djokovic's disqualification at Flushing Meadows six years ago for striking a line judge.
Djokovic escaped further punishment, and the match continued. He had started strongly, breaking Safiullin's serve in the opening game, but the Russian responded immediately to level at 1-1. Djokovic won the first set on a tie-break and quickly added the second.
Chasing Records
The seven-time Wimbledon champion is pursuing a men's singles record on Centre Court. He drew level with Roger Federer's 105 SW19 victories with his third-round win over 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech on Friday. Djokovic, 39, expressed his desire to continue delighting the Wimbledon audience for as long as his physical condition permits.
Djokovic on Crowd Interaction
“Well, we are in the entertainment business, as well. I think in the end of the day, you try to bring the quality for the people that pay tickets to come and watch you with your tennis,” Djokovic said ahead of his clash with Safiullin. “Also, I mean, for me at least, it was always trying to interact in one way or another with the crowd. Over the course of my career, I've had many exchanges with the crowd, good and bad.”
He added: “Sometimes you have matches where you just try to switch everything and everyone off and not really pay attention. Sometimes if there is a proposal happening and you see it, I think it's a nice moment if you say a few words. They'll remember it for a long time.”
Djokovic acknowledged the challenge of managing emotions on court: “Yeah, well, I mean, you're by yourself on the court, so there's a lot of emotions that you have to deal with and manage. Sometimes it's really hard to keep it all inside. Some are more expressive than others, I guess.”
