Novak Djokovic’s antics on the court at times overshadow his game. On Friday, the seven-time champion cruised to a 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti to reach his 37th Major final.
Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in a mouth-watering reprise of the final of the last Wimbledon Championships. Alcaraz progressed to the final following a 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over Daniil Medvedev in an almost three-hour match, his fourth Grand Slam final appearance.
Upon securing the match point, Djokovic imitated playing an imaginary violin with his racket, but he did not provoke the crowd as he did in his last match to avoid confrontation.
“I am satisfied and pleased, but I don’t want to stop here – hopefully, I get my hands on the trophy,” Djokovic said.
This past week, in his fourth-round match against Holger Rune, Djokovic endured more than two hours of crowd noise. Chanting by the audience—that may have been ‘Ruuuu’ and was mistaken for ‘boooo’—appeared to peeve him. He prevailed in straight sets, anyway, the 24-time major winner.
“To all of those people who have decided to show disrespect to the player who is leaving the court, in this case to me, have a goooooood night,” Djokovic replied, his voice echoing around the hall. When interviewer Rishi Persad tried to interject, Djokovic refused to back down. “I know the crowd was for Rune, but that’s also an excuse also to boo,” he said. “I’ve spent two decades on the tour, so I know all of the tricks and how it works.”
Then, seeking the eighth title on Church Road, he sent a clear message to Centre Court fans: “I have played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me,” he warned.