In a match that had such high stakes and so tightly contested, there were many moments of frustration on either player’s part. But one such moment from Novak Djokovic came with a price tag. With Carlos Alcaraz refusing to budge and drop his level, any mistake on the Serb’s part only added to his increasing unrest. And Djokovic breaking a racket or too is not a shocking sight; it’s a release that has certainly worked well for the 23-time Major winner many times in his career. Alas, it wouldn’t this time around, ending up costing him a fraction of his prize money.
After succumbing to a break in the deciding set of the Championship match, the Serb smashed his racket on the wooden post of the net. And this show of frustration cost Djokovic not just a code violation but also a fine. However, the runner up won’t lose too much sleep over the amount he’ll be paying back to the organizers from his prize money.
Novak Djokovic to pay for his frustration
Changing ends after losing his service game and going down 1-2 in the 5th set, Djokovic smashed his racket on the wooden post, battering it to smithereens. The thump was hard to miss with even Carlos Alcaraz across the net getting a jolt amidst his celebration.
A code violation followed and now a fine of $8000 has been leveled against the Serbian. While a seemingly hefty amount, the fine is only a small part of the prize money Djokovic has earned as the runner up to the Wimbledon Championship. Bagging $1,370,863, Nole will be parting with a mere 0.0058% of the total. A figure that the player wouldn’t mind giving back in exchange for releasing some tension.
Novak Djokovic’s racket smash from two angles #Wimbeldon #WimbledonFinal pic.twitter.com/M5KMYrD2EP
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 16, 2023