Novak Djokovic slapped down for not ‘apologising’ in Wimbledon speech

F1 icon Sir Jackie Stewart feels Novak Djokovic should have used his post-match speech after the Wimbledon final to “apologise” for smashing his racket against the net post. Djokovic ended up losing to Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling Wimbledon final last week, bringing an end to the Serbian’s 10-year unbeaten run on Centre Court.

The turning point in the fifth set came when Djokovic, serving for the third game, was broken by Alcaraz. The Spaniard hit a stunning winner past the world No 2 to put him in control of the final set.

Djokovic then let his anger at losing his serve get the better of him while returning to his seat as he smashed his racket in fury at the net post directly under the umpire’s chair. The 36-year-old ended up leaving a dent in the post while instantly breaking his racket.

The crowd inside Centre Court booed Djokovic’s antics and he was unable to recover with Alcaraz going on to lift his first Wimbledon title. Djokovic didn’t mention the incident on court after the final loss and refused to apologise in his post-match press conference.

Stewart, who’s ambassador role with Rolex gives him the opportunity to attend most Wimbledon finals, was not in the stands to watch last week’s final. But speaking to the Telegraph he did admit to catching the end of the men’s final, including Djokovic’s racket smash.

And the three-time F1 world champion was left disappointed by Djokovic for not using his platform to apologise for his angry outburst. He said: “That was a mistake. He should have apologised for that in his speech.”

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Djokovic was later punished by the All England Club for his furious outburst. The Serbian was slapped with a £6,117 ($8,000) fine for smashing his racket against the net post.

It proved to be an eventful final for Djokovic as he was also involved in a few incidents earlier in the match. He was frustrated with umpire Fergus Murphy when he was called for a time violation for taking too long to serve.

Djokovic ended up venting his fury to the chair umpire midway through a tense third set after he realised the timer was starting earlier than he thought it should have been.

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