Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, offered an apology after pranking a ball kid during his second-round victory at Wimbledon. The incident occurred between sets during his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court.
Djokovic defeated Tsitsipas in straight sets, with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in a match that lasted just an hour and 38 minutes. His performance was described as “vintage” and “almost flawless” by commentators, leading him to the third round of the tournament.
Centre Court Antics
During the break between the second and third sets, Djokovic engaged in a light-hearted prank with a ball kid. He requested assistance to cut a piece of excess material from the shoulder of his playing kit. As the ball kid prepared to make the cut, Djokovic flinched, pretending she had nicked his skin. This caused the ball kid to jump in surprise.
The crowd present on Centre Court chuckled at the exchange. Djokovic quickly apologised to the ball kid, who initially appeared stunned before showing relief and laughing courtside. He reiterated his apology immediately after the match.
Reflecting on the moment, Djokovic stated that such playful actions tend to surface when he is in a comfortable position, specifically two sets to love up. He acknowledged that it was “probably not that great of a joke” but admitted it helped him to relax. He also noted that Tsitsipas had gone to change, providing him with some spare time for the interaction.
Djokovic’s Form and Tournament Progress
The victory over Tsitsipas marked Djokovic’s second win in the tournament, following an earlier victory against Yibing Wu. His strong start to Wimbledon has been noted, with 2017 semifinalist Sam Querrey commenting that it was the best Djokovic had played since the Australian Open. Querrey suggested that if Djokovic could maintain this level for additional matches, he would have a strong chance at securing the title, potentially equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight titles at SW19.
Despite his impressive form, Djokovic has been observed limbering up between points, a routine for the 39-year-old athlete. He will next face French 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech in the third round.
Other Men’s Results
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, several other players advanced to the third round. Top seed Jannik Sinner secured his spot with a 7-6(7/4), 7-6(7/2), 6-4 victory over Nuno Borges of Portugal. Sinner, who had faced challenges in his opening five-set win against Miomir Kecmanović, managed to navigate this match with relative ease despite Borges having a set point in the second set.
Sinner expressed his focus on improvement rather than perfection, stating, “Second match on grass, I was not looking for perfection. I tried to improve. Felt like at times I did. Now we’ll see how it goes.”
Eighth seed Daniil Medvedev also progressed, defeating Spain’s Daniel Merida in four sets. French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, seeded ninth, beat Mariano Navone. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, supported by his fan club, advanced past Jesper de Jong. American qualifier Michael Zheng followed up his win against British number one Cameron Norrie with another straight-sets victory, this time against Colombia’s Nicolas Mejia. Fellow American Tommy Paul also reached the third round with his second consecutive straight-sets win, defeating Kwon Soon-woo.
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Source: abc.net.au
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”