Djokovic’s volley of abuse
NOVAK Djokovic was embroiled in controversy after telling the Centre Court crowd to ‘shut the f*** up’ during yesterday’s men’s singles final.
The Serbian star launched the foul-mouthed outburst while gesticulating at fans, complaining to officials that they were trying to distract him.
The clash unfolded as he closed in on victory after winning the first two sets against Kevin Anderson. With Anderson staging a comeback in the third set, the crowd began to cheer on the 6ft 8in underdog in the hope of extending the drama on court.
After winning a crucial point in the tenth game of the set, Djokovic put his finger to his lips and apparently told the umpire: ‘Tell them to shut the f*** up.’ Despite
strict rules about the use of foul language on court, the umpire did not appear to penalise him for the obscenity code violation.
Djokovic also pointed to his ear at one stage, and blew a kiss towards his detractors.
It comes days after the 31-yearold said spectators at SW19 were trying to provoke him by whistling and jeering. He accused some of crossing a ‘borderline’ during his third-round victory over British No. 1 Kyle Edmund.
‘I didn’t deserve to be treated as I was treated by certain individuals,’ he said afterwards. ‘There were just some people … they kept on going, they kept on going, provoking.’