Top-ranked men's tennis star Novak Djokovic lost his temper during Tuesday's Australian Open quarterfinals match against Alex Zverev, and his racket paid the price.
[Video via ESPN. H/T LBS.]
It happened as Zverev held a 3-1 lead in the third set after splitting the first two sets with Djokovic. With the game tied at 40 all, Djokovic hit a Zverev serve into the net and completely lost it, smashing his racket three times behind the baseline on his end of the court as a release for his frustration.
This continues a concerning pattern with Djokovic, as it comes after he was forced to default from the 2020 US Open, his last Grand Slam tournament, for accidentally hitting a ball into a line judge's throat. Fortunately this time, the outburst did not cost Djokovic anything outside of his racket, which was obviously damaged beyond repair. The match was paused while he took a moment to get himself a new racket and regain his composure.
Djokovic came back to win the third set and closed out the match in the fourth set to advance to the semifinals against Aslan Karatzev. We will see whether Djokovic can keep his cool for the rest of the tournament, but he clearly needs some anger management training.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
