Novak Djokovic remains a strong contender at Wimbledon. That leaves the 24-time Grand Slam champion with time for a little fun on the sidelines.
Novak Djokovic stood on Wimbledon’s Center Court in his stylish white jacket and, without further ado, challenged Rory McIlroy to a duel. “Rory, what a beautiful jacket,” the record-holding Grand Slam champion called out in high spirits to the top golf star in the Royal Box: “Is that a Masters jacket? I want that jacket—I’ll play you. But tennis, not golf.”
Djokovic was visibly in high spirits after his decisive second-round victory over two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. In his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory, the 24-time major champion from Serbia demonstrated his still-impressive class—and, at 39, continues to dream of what might be his final major triumph.
Wimbledon: Djokovic Now Faces Rinderknech
In his quest for the historic 25th title, however, Djokovic—the perfectionist from Belgrade who is so accustomed to success—seems less dogged than he might have been in earlier days. Djokovic doesn’t just talk about how much he enjoys performing on the biggest stage at a mature age in his professional career; he also seems to be truly succeeding at it.
When Tsitsipas left the court for a brief break after the second set, Djokovic even teased a ball girl. He asked the young woman to cut off a piece of his tape and then flinched as if she had cut him. Both laughed heartily—and Djokovic ultimately advanced easily to the third round.
There, he’ll now face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech—who knocked out Alexander Zverev in the first round last year.
