Novak Djokovic got defeated by world no. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, in Wimbledon Final. That Sunday did not pan out well for the Serbian as he not only got beaten on the center court for the first time in 10 years but was also fined a hefty amount of money because he smashed his racket on the net post in a fit of frustration.
Although Novak has been getting praise left and right for his excellent sportsmanship during the post-match interviews, he has received an equal amount of backlash for his infamous racket smash. He has been fined a total of £6,100, which is around $8,000, ‘racket abuse’ also making it the largest individual fine in 2023.
Novak Djokovic’s racket smash from two angles #Wimbeldon #WimbledonFinal pic.twitter.com/M5KMYrD2EP
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 16, 2023
Djokovic isn’t the only player to be fined for ‘racket abuse,’ 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva got fined for the same as well.
Wimbledon fines
$8000 for 16 year old Mirra Andreeva 🇷🇺 for an immature racquet bounce on the grass and also a loss of balance
$8000 for 36 year old Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸 aggressive smashing of a racquet against net post.
— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) July 18, 2023
Mirra was fined twice for ‘racket abuse’ and ‘conduct’ in her match against Madison Keys in the round of 16. She was defeated by Keys, hence the fit of frustration she went through during the match. Andreeva was fined £3,050 for each fine, totaling £6,100 (around $7900 approx.), equaling Djokovic.
Fans react to Novak Djokovic smashing his racket during the match.
Racket smashing, often referred to as racket abuse, happens when a tennis player lashes out in anger at their tennis racket by hitting it violently against the court or another object. Unfortunately, both male and female athletes are increasingly engaging in this unsportsmanlike conduct, whether amateur players or players with decades of experience.
Fans took to social media to show their disapproval towards both the players.
Watching Djokovic break another racket as he’s down 2 games in the last set pic.twitter.com/ngHWR7XeFH
— Drew🍒 (@CheekyChachki) July 16, 2023
Novak is well-known for his on-court play, but he is also well-known for his temper tantrums and courtside fights. Djokovic has received criticism for his “childish” and volatile behavior, and it is well-deserved given how unsportsmanlike his actions have been.
djokovic smashing his racket cos the ball no go where he wanted 🥺😔😤 pic.twitter.com/1jfouLxUTA
— kai (@dr_kai_phd) July 16, 2023
djokovic staring at his racket in disbelief whenever he loses a point like he’s not the one swinging it is hilarious
— Holly 🏁 (@lentaholly) July 16, 2023
They should have banned Djokovic for his rest of his life playing Wimbledon. Intentionally breaking the racket and damaging the net is unacceptable. Banning him from playing tennis in Wimbledon is only right punishment.
— Rajse (@Nivas67267951) July 18, 2023
Fans were however quick to point out how the fine would do Mirra good,
The fine came after her second offense. I watched the video. She did slip and she also threw the racket. The violation is good for her. I like her. No one is perfect but with these violations, she will quickly learn to work on her temper. She has just started out.
Serena had a…
— Trudy Seivwright MD (@SeivwrightTrudy) July 18, 2023
One user took to social media to indicate how it will be a good lesson for the young player,
Mira is young enough to learn the lesson if the penalty is pitched right. Djokovic is well past that point and can pay any fine without even noticing. Suspended suspension penalty would have been better.
— Steve R (@str59) July 18, 2023
Fans have been quick to point out how it looked like an innocent slip. And the penalty was unfair to Mirra.
“You don’t understand what you’re doing” 😡
Do we think this was an innocent slip or a deliberate throw from Mirra Andreeva? 🤔#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/044UfgQN0Q
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 11, 2023
Mirra’s fine is utterly ridiculous. It’s clear to see there was no intent with what she did.
Novak’s was deliberate and the fine is correct based on the rules. However, 8k is no deterrent to a man who makes 10’s of millions a year. That rule definitely needs changing.
— _ (@DabOf0ppo) July 18, 2023
After losing, Andreeva didn’t shake hands with the umpire as players are usually required to. When asked, she said, “Honestly, I thought that I will fall forward. Maybe it did look like I threw the racquet. I don’t know. I didn’t see any videos yet For me, she didn’t do a right decision. Yes, that’s why I didn’t want to shake hands with her.”
However, Novak Djokovic’s fine set a record for 2023 as it was the highest individual fine imposed during this year’s competition.