French Open: Novak Djokovic Justifies Altercation With Wife Jelena in a Revelation of Her Special Role in His Team

What could be better than having your partner cheering you on during a crucial match? But what if their presence leads to an altercation? A similar encounter was witnessed during the ongoing French Open on Monday when Novak Djokovic had a stern exchange of words with his wife Jelena during his match against Francisco Cerundulo.

The Serbian’s venture at Roland Garros has been met with serious challenges, especially in the third and fourth rounds of the tournament. Playing against Argentina’s Cerundulo, Nole was facing serious problems. Despite winning the opening set, Djokovic lost two subsequent sets to the Argentine. While he made a comeback in the fourth set, things did not go easy for him, especially because of his knee injury. 

During the decisive fifth set, Djokovic found himself with a break at 2-0. However, he quickly conceded to 30-30 after which he was seen furious. Djokovic was caught in the camera looking angrily at his team, shouting, and showing gestures by hand. His wife Jelena, in the team box, did not fail to act equally. She was spotted standing up in the box and responding similarly to her husband, making wild hand gestures.

While the cheeky encounter did not last long, the internet was quick to pick it up. The 98-time tour-level titlist also did not fail to acknowledge the presence of her wife in her team. Speaking after the match, he said,  “I had a small exchange of smiles with Jelena. She is my new psychologist.” This statement came probably because the altercation seemed to help the Serb. Minutes after the incident, the Tennis legend was seen pulling victory from the jaws of defeat and won the game 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.  

However, destiny does not seem to be in favor of Novak Djokovic yet. Despite his efforts and upward streak to qualify for the quarter-finals, Djokovic has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a knee injury. 

Novak Djokovic to withdraw from French Open 

The seven-time Nitto ATP Finals winner passed all odds and qualified till the quarter-finals of the tournament. However, his knee injury has now impacted him drastically, forcing him to withdraw from the tournament and losing the No. 1 spot to Jannik Sinner. Nole has torn his medial meniscus in his right knee, which will require time to heal. 

This news comes just a day after Djokovic was seen limping on the court during the match. He had also expressed doubts about his participation in the quarter-finals. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or the day after, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” Djokovic had said.

Djokovic’s injury grants a walkover to Casper Ruud, who was set to face Djokovic in the quarter-finals. While the ultimate fate is unknown, it will be crucial to see if Novak can make a comeback before the Wimbledon Open and ultimately the Paris Olympics. His absence leaves a significant gap in the tournament, and fans will eagerly await his return to the court