5 Biggest Novak Djokovic Controversies that Rocked the Tennis World in 2023

When it comes to the 2023 year, Novak Djokovic made the most of it. By winning 3 grand slams and ending the year with 24 total slams to his name, he etched his name into the history of tennis. But behind this success came a lot of drama and madness. Throughout the year, the world’s number 1 player had to go through a lot of controversies.

However, these still weren’t enough to stop him as he made his way to the top, just like any other year. That being said, it is now time to look at the top 5 moments when Novak Djokovic found himself in difficult situations throughout the year.

5 moments when Novak Djokovic landed himself into controversies in 2023

Apart from the success that he has achieved in tennis throughout his career, the Serbian sensation has often found himself in places that he did not expect to be at all. From smashing the racket at Wimbledon to hanging up the phone at the US Open, a lot happened to him. Given below are the five best moments that probably brought out the worst in him.

1) The Italian Open drama with the referee

It all started at the Italian Open which witnessed a clash of tempers as Djokovic faced off against Holger Rune. In the quarter-final match, frustration mounted the Serbian as he expressed annoyance at umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s delay in announcing scores in both English and Italian.

“But what’s the drama of waiting between English and Italian,” Djokovic asked. “What, are you acting here?” Lahyani replied, “No, this is how we do.” Djokovic fired back and said, “This is how you do what? Why do you call the score for 20 seconds? Just call the score, for God’s sake.” 

However, it was not only Djokovic who expressed his frustration with the umpire. In a match that saw the Danish player win, Rune too lashed out at Lahyani over a contentious line call. He further went ahead to add that he has always been made look as the bad guy.

2) ‘Absurd’ Wimbledon Semifinal Controversy

The Wimbledon 2023 saw Djokovic involved in an “absurd” controversy during the semifinals against Jannik Sinner. Umpire Richard Haigh penalized Djokovic for a “hindrance” call, claiming his extended breaks between points had disrupted Sinner.

After winning the match against the Italian, Djokovic admitted that he was feeling nervous after the penalty. Not only this, he also expressed his surprise as such incidents were rare for him.

“It’s never happened to me, I don’t normally have an extended grunt,” he said. “Maybe it was an echo from the roof or something like this. I don’t actually feel like I was causing any hindrance to my opponent, but OK. But it’s a call I have to respect”.

Thus, the Wimbledon semi-final clash against Sinner came with a lot of troubles for the Serbian. While he managed to make his way into the finals, the road was not at all easy for him. Talking about the next incident- it happened just days after he made his way into the finals of the same tournament.

3) Wimbledon racket smash and an $8,000 fine

In a dramatic Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic’s frustration erupted as it brought out the worst in him. Interestingly, this was the only grand slam that he failed to conquer this year. The Spanish player gave the Serbian a tough fight and in a match that lasted a little close to 5 hours, he managed to lay his hands on victory.

However, during the match, Novak Djokovic couldn’t control his outburst and went ahead to smash his racket against the net. This resulted in an $8,000 fine, marking the largest individual fine of the tournament. The defeat, coupled with the fine, added to Djokovic’s worst-ever Wimbledon experience.

Also read: ‘Jannik and Carlos Winning the Two Big Ones Federer Hogged Every Year’- Novak Djokovic’s 2nd ATP Awards Snub Divides Tennis Fans

4) Novak Djokovic hangs up the phone at Ben Shelton at the US Open

The US Open was a remarkable one for the Serbian. However apart from him, the tournament also saw the rise of a young star named Ben Shelton. The young American managed to make his way to the semi-finals of the tournament. However, in the semis, he had to deal with a defeat at the hands of the Serbian. But what was followed by the win was the mocking celebration that Djokovic stole from Shelton.

Mimicking Shelton’s phone hang-up gesture, Djokovic humorously incorporated it into his victory celebration, adding a touch of jest amidst the intensity of the tournament. “I just love Ben’s celebration,” he said. “I thought he was very original and I copied him. I stole his celebration.” 

On the other hand, after suffering the defeat, Shelton also went ahead and said that he did not mind Djokovic imitating his celebration. Thus, the drama and madness in the semi-finals of the US Open was next level, and as a veteran, with his experience and wits, Djokovic outplayed a rising star of the game.

5) Doping Control Controversy at Davis Cup

Ahead of Serbia’s Davis Cup clash with Great Britain, Djokovic expressed fury at being asked to undergo a doping test. This request disrupted Djokovic’s pre-match routine which triggered his ire. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency justified it as a standard procedure.

“I didn’t believe that they could make such a decision, in 20 and more years of my career, it never happened to me that an hour-and-a-half before the match, I needed to go for doping control,” the 36-year-old told Serbian reporters.

“I have my own routine — I don’t need that distraction, to have my urine and blood taken, to think about whether I can give urine at that moment,” he further continued.

So, Novak Djokovic, who was all set to play his match against Great Britain was asked to undergo a test that not only disrupted his focus but also triggered frustration and anger out of him.

Thus, Novak Djokovic’s 2023 journey was marked not only by his remarkable gameplay but also by these controversies that left a great impact on the tennis world. As the year progressed, Djokovic made his way through these moments. What are your views on these controversies? Do let us know in the comments below!

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