Tennis legend Novak Djokovic unleashed his fury on his racket after losing the third game in the fifth set of his epic duel with Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. Djokovic was so frustrated and angry with himself for not being able to hold the serve that he slammed his racket into the net post, breaking the frame. A packed crowd at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club expressed their displeasure at Djokovic’s aggressive action as they began berating the all-time grand slam winner.
Check out the viral video below of the incident where Novak Djokovic expressed his frustration:
RACQUET SMASH: Novak Djokovic couldn’t keep his cool as his long reign at Wimbledon was ended by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in an epic men’s singles final. #9News
HIGHLIGHTS: pic.twitter.com/QKZZCpmZld
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) July 17, 2023
After his outburst on Sunday, Novak Djokovic loses more than just his racket. The 36-year-old was fined for smashing his racket when he broke the code of conduct and was given a “Code Violation”. The US tabloid NY Post reported: “Following Djokovic’s loss to Alcaraz, he was fined $8,000 (£6,100) for “racket abuse”, the largest individual fine in 2023.”
“The fine is a drop in the ocean for the Serbian tennis legend, who earned $1.4 million for his second-place finish in London.”
The penalty for smashing the racket was just one incident for Djokovic in a controversial event. On Sunday he also received a time violation between penalties and in the semi-final against Italy’s Jannik Sinner, the Serb was fined for an obstacle violation after a loud growl.
Djokovic, who had not lost on Center Court since losing to Andy Murray in the 2013 final, lost the title match to Alcaraz, an emerging talent 16 years his junior.
For Carlos Alcazar, the new Wimbledon champion, it was his only fourth tournament on grass. It was another crowning achievement in Alcaraz’s short career, adding to his 2022 US Open trophy to earn him a second Grand Slam title.
The 20-year-old breaks the 21-year-old record of only four players winning Wimbledon between them: Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
