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LATEST   |   July 17, 2023

Novak Djokovic smashes his racquet on net pole after Alcaraz’s unlikeliest point

The frustration was evident on Novak Djokovic’s face from the early moments as the 2023 Wimbledon Men’s final went into a fifth set at the Centre Court on Sunday that saw Carlos Alcaraz pip him for a first Wimbledon title.

The seven-time winner of the slam had managed to win the fourth set – having lost two in a row to Alcaraz – but with the Spaniard scoring a point following a stretched rally, the Serb would lose his cool and break his racquet after smashing it against the net pole.

The incident would induce one of the many extreme emotions from a full house crowd at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which booed the all-time record grand slam winner. Here’s a video of the incident:

Earlier, Djokovic started off the final breezing past the 20-year-old prodigious talent in the first set before Alcaraz mounted a comeback in the second and third set.

The Serbian would indulge in possible mind games following a long break at the end of the third set, which did seem to work as he went on to win the fourth set, taking the game into a fifth and deciding one. This isn’t the first time the Wimbledon men’s final has ended with Novak Djokovic winning. In 2019, the Serb narrowly defeated Roger Federer in another final that lasted over 4 hours and 57 minutes in the fifth set.