The beginning of Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti‘s rivalry dates back to the 2021 French Open. Although the Serb had been going strong, Musetti took the first two sets of their pre-quarterfinal match. However, Djokovic came back with a bang and blanked Musetti in the next two sets to level the match at two sets all. He continued the momentum and raced to a 4-0 lead in the decider before the Italian decided to retire from the match. And later Musetti himself admitted that it wasn’t injury but his lack of wins that finalized that decision!

After that fateful meeting, the match between the two stars has always lived up to the hype. Djokovic and Musetti have faced off against each other on six occasions, with the Serb prevailing on 5 of them. The duo also squared off at the recently-concluded French Open, with Djokovic winning it in five. As the two prepare to face off again at the Wimbledon Championships, we expect no less than a thrilling encounter.

Apart from the great quality on display during their matches, fans have also witnessed many a dramatic scene involving the two. One such example is during their encounter at the 2024 French Open. Toward the business end of that match, Djokovic was handed a penalty for a time violation. It didn’t go down well with the Serb, despite him leading 4-0 in the deciding set. A frustrated Djokovic had a heated argument with the chair umpire and the decision stood. The match went late into midnight, finishing at around 3 AM.

As far as Djokovic and the Red Clay slam were concerned, it was the beginning of the end. For Musetti, it was a terrible loss that probably fuels his revenge on grass now, where an injured and post-surgery Djokovic has reached the semifinals.

But that doesn’t mean the Serbian hasn’t been under the hammer at Wimbledon this year, facing constant boos from the fans. Now, the crowd needs this match as the thrilling action between these two players might reduce the pressure faced by Djokovic from the British crowd. They’ve alreday been the target of a jibe from him after Djokovic believed he was being booed.

Fans receive ‘gooooood night’ from Novak Djokovic

As emotions soared with the thrilling action on display in the match between Djokovic and Holger Rune in the Round of 16, a section of the crowd present inside the stadium started booing Novak Djokovic. However, the Serb hit back at them after the match, and he asked them to have a ‘gooood night’ after his win over Rune, saying it in the same tone.

Later, the 24-time Grand Slam champion also accused the Wimbledon crowd of disrespect toward him, saying, “I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse to also boo. Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. … I focus on the respectful people that have respect, that paid the ticket to come and watch tonight, and love tennis and appreciate the players and the effort that the players put in here.”

Subsequently, Djokovic’s name was also booed when Musetti mentioned him during his post-match interview after winning against Taylor Fritz. Nonetheless, Djokovic will look to put this controversy behind him as he aims to reach his fourth successive Wimbledon final.