Novak Djokovic gave a ballgirl a fright during his dominant second-round victory at Wimbledon, as the 24-time grand slam champion cruised past Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 6-2 in less than 100 minutes.
Djokovic's Cheeky Prank
Between the second and third sets, while Tsitsipas took a bathroom break, Djokovic decided to have some fun. The 39-year-old Serbian was trying to cut material from his t-shirt and asked the ballgirl for help. When she approached, he flinched as if he had been cut, startling her. He quickly apologised, and the ballgirl smiled once she realised it was a joke.
Commentators enjoyed the moment. Mike Monaco on ESPN said: “It got me, too. I thought he got pinched for a second, that’s cruel!” John McEnroe added: “That’s a tough dad move there. It’s cold as ice.”
Djokovic Apologises
In his on-court interview after the match, Djokovic apologised again. “This kind of thing surfaces when you’re two sets to love up,” he said. “Stefanos went to change so I had some spare time. I’m sorry if I scared her. It was probably not that great of a joke. It made me a bit more relaxed.”
The win sets up a potential semi-final clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who beat Nuno Borges 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. Sinner struggled at times but held firm when needed, breaking Borges after the Portuguese missed a routine backhand on set point in the second set.
Other Results
Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, showing improved form, defeated Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 7-5. Auger-Aliassime and Djokovic have met twice, with one win each, but never on grass.
Eighth seed Daniil Medvedev won in four sets against Spain’s Daniel Merida. French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, seeded nine, beat Mariano Navone to set up a match with Australia’s James Duckworth. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, cheered by his fan club, defeated Jesper de Jong.
Francis Tiafoe, seeded 17, progressed by beating Terence Atmane in a match delayed overnight. However, fellow American 16th seed Learner Tien was eliminated by Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics.
