Novak Djokovic Jokes With Ball Girl Before Cruising Into Wimbledon Round 3

Novak Djokovic gave Centre Court a reason to smile before reminding everyone why he remains one of the favourites at Wimbledon.

The Serbian star pulled off a playful prank on a ball girl during a changeover and then produced a commanding display to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas and book his place in the third round of the Championships.

The light-hearted moment came while Tsitsipas had left the court for a comfort break. Djokovic asked a ball girl to remove the tag from the back of his shirt before jokingly pretending she had accidentally cut his neck. The youngster appeared briefly alarmed until the 24-time Grand Slam champion broke into laughter and revealed he was only kidding.

The clip quickly spread across social media, with fans enjoying Djokovic’s playful side. Reflecting on the incident after the match, the Serbian admitted the joke was probably inspired by how comfortably he was leading.

“I guess these kind of things happen when you’re two sets up instead of two sets down,” Djokovic said with a smile.

“Stefanos had gone off the court, so I had a bit of time. I hope I didn’t scare her too much. It probably wasn’t my best joke.”

He added that the ball girl took the prank in good spirits and that the exchange helped lighten the mood before play resumed.

Djokovic too strong for Tsitsipas

Once the match restarted, Djokovic left little room for drama, defeating Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in a dominant second-round performance that lasted less than two hours.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion controlled proceedings from the outset, serving superbly and repeatedly targeting Tsitsipas’ one-handed backhand with his trademark precision. Djokovic won 82 per cent of points behind his first serve and capitalised on the key moments to keep the Greek firmly on the back foot.

It was another convincing statement from the Serbian, who has now beaten Tsitsipas in 12 consecutive meetings. After dropping a set in his opening-round victory over Wu Yibing, Djokovic looked far more comfortable and rarely allowed his opponent a foothold in the contest.

The win keeps the 39-year-old on course in his pursuit of a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon men’s singles title and a historic 25th Grand Slam crown. Seeded seventh, Djokovic is projected to face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals if both continue to progress.

Next up for Djokovic is France’s Arthur Rinderknech, as the Serbian continues his quest for another Wimbledon triumph.