Djokovic’s Frustration at French Open

On Wednesday, Novak Djokovic showcased some of his infamous frustration during the second round of the French Open. While competing against Valentin Royer, the Serbian tennis player was visibly annoyed by crowd noise interrupting his serve in the sweltering conditions. Djokovic’s complaints about the referee brought attention from the audience, revealing his irritation.

“They have no respect, no respect whatsoever,” Djokovic told the referee after receiving a warning.

The crowd disruption was bothersome for the third seed, but he managed to push through the three-and-a-half hour match, ultimately winning with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3.

“It was a very, very difficult match in difficult conditions,” Djokovic reflected afterward. “It was quite a challenge for me. The experience helped me a lot.”

Djokovic isn’t new to dealing with rowdy fans. At the 2024 Australian Open, he faced similar disruption as the crowd cheered for local player Alexei Popyrin. During that match, one enthusiastic fan heckled him repeatedly.

At one point, the 24-time Grand Slam champion confronted the heckler, pausing the match for several minutes. “At one point I had enough and asked him if he wanted to come down and tell me about this face to face,” Djokovic recounted. “Unfortunately, he didn’t have the courage to come down.”

Interestingly, Djokovic isn’t the only player feeling the heat at this year’s tournament. Wang Xinyu also attracted attention after crossing over to Tamara Kolpacz’s side to check a ball mark, which angered the audience.

The soaring temperatures, often exceeding 90 degrees, affected players significantly, with ball girls needing assistance during earlier matches. On Wednesday, Jakub Mencik even collapsed after a grueling five-hour, five-set encounter against Mariano Navone.

Looking ahead, Djokovic is set to face 28th seed Joao Fonseca in the third round at Roland Garros.