‘You must be joking’ – Novak Djokovic was left in utter shock after receiving ‘never seen before’ Wimbledon call
Novak Djokovic has been involved in his fair share of controversies, but none like the one he was part of at Wimbledon.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner is chasing an eighth title at SW19 this week, winning his Round of 16 match on Monday.
He beat Alex De Minaur and is now looking to book a spot in the semi-finals for the seventh Wimbledon in a row.
But it was in one of those previous semis that Djokovic was involved in something commentators described as ‘never seen before’.
In 2023, the tennis great was taking on Jannik Sinner on Centre Court at the All England Club for a place in the final.
He had come out on top in the first set of the match and was leading 2-1 in the second when the umpire stepped in.
Djokovic grunted loudly during a rally, which is not uncommon to hear when the elite stars are giving their all.
However, the umpire, Richard Haigh, took issue with his grunt due to its timing and length, immediately stepping in to call a hindrance.
It appeared that Haigh believed that Djokovic’s sound was done on purpose to hinder Sinner during the point.
Djokovic was left astounded at the call, dropping down to the grass in disbelief, with the crowd gasping in shock too.
He stopped for a few seconds, seemingly stunned by the decision, before walking up to the umpire’s chair.
“You must be joking,” the Serbian was heard saying. “Calling that in the semi-final of Wimbledon? What are you doing?”
It wasn’t just Djokovic who was left surprised either, as Brit tennis legend Tim Henman couldn’t believe it.
Henman said on BBC commentary: “I’ve never seen that before.”
There was nothing that could be done to change the umpire’s decision though, with Sinner awarded the point.
Fortunately for Djokovic, he would go on to win that game, the second set and then the third to reach the Wimbledon final.
And that is likely to have helped him stay calm and discuss the controversial call post-match.
Djokovic explained: “First of all, I have to accept the decision from a chair umpire. That’s it. It was quite a close call, I must say.
“I mean, it has never happened to me. I’ve never had a hindrance call for extended grunt.
“I saw the replay. I saw that my grunt finished before he hit the shot.
“So I thought that chair umpire’s call was not correct. I mean, my opinion. Again, you have to accept it.”
Sinner also weighed in on the controversy, saying: “Yeah, it’s a call of the umpire, no?
“Obviously he hit the ball already, and then after he was shouting quite long and with the volume up.”
Tennis icon John McEnroe gave his thoughts on the hindrance call too, berating umpire Haigh for his decision.
“He [Djokovic] handled it admirably – way, way better than most players,” McEnroe said.
“I would have hated if that were a turning point. Horrible, horrible call. Sinner’s ball went back in court and dropped a foot from baseline. How much of a hindrance could it have been?
“It is one thing if Sinner lifts his game, that’s great, but not when the umpire gets in the middle of it.
“Obviously, this umpire wanted his name in the paper. Fortunately, Novak held. It would have been a shame.”
Djokovic would go on to lose in the final at Wimbledon to Carlos Alcaraz, who then repeated that feat in 2024.
Now, the pair are two of the favourites to meet again in the showpiece, heading towards a blockbuster trilogy battle.
But Sinner may stand in Djokovic’s way, and if they clash, the No.6 seed will want to keep his grunts to a minimum…
