NOVAK DJOKOVIC let his frustrations get the better of him during his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Jannick Sinner, SNAPPING midway through the match.
The Serbian slugger was bested 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 by the Italian in their Centre Court clash on Friday.
Djokovic showed glimpses of his old self but was unable to compete with the pace and power being set by Sinner, who is 15 years his junior.
And he snapped after being broken by the Italian in the third set, shouting to his box: “Just watch and be quiet.
“Watch and be quiet. Don’t say a single word, just watch.”
It’s unclear who Djokovic was shouting at, but he obviously had no reservations about giving them a rollicking.
Djokovic cut an emotional figure as he left Centre Court, with many tennis fans believing defeat to Sinner could be the Serb’s All England Club swansong.
But the seven-time Wimbledon winner hopes to be back at SW19 next year.
He said: “It wasn’t really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don’t want to whine about not managing to play my best.
“It’s bad fortune. It’s just age, wear-and-tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, reality hits me right now.
“It’s tough for me to accept because I feel like when I’m fresh, I can still play really good tennis. I’ve proven that this year.
“The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets.
“I reached the semis of every slam this year, but I’ve to play Sinner or [Carlos] Alcaraz.
“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with the tank half empty.
“It’s just not possible to win a match like that.
“Hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court.
“I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back at least one more time.”
Read the full article here