Novak Djokovic won a scintillating, dramatic five-set thriller last night, but his match was marred by controversy midway through.
After all, he took issue with one decision made by the organisers, and was unafraid to voice that frustration.
He called for the tournament referee and did not hold back, with Djokovic voicing a strong complaint at the decision to close the roof as early as they did.
Felix Auger Aliassime, as a player who thrives in indoor conditions, likely could not believe his luck, although he did feign frustration alongside his opponent.
In the end, the decision was ratified and the roof closed. In doing so, Wimbledon massively let Novak Djokovic down.
Wimbledon should not have closed the roof when they did
“You are so proud of your rules, that you are not sticking to any kind of rules,” Djokovic argued. “You have no idea what the rule is.”
He was right, of course, as he also insisted that the roof should stay open as long as possible due to it being an ‘outdoor tournament’
What do you make of Wimbledon’s use of the roof during evening matches? 🤔
In all honesty, he could not have made his argument any more succinct and strong.
With the local time at 7:40 pm, Djokovic also used Wimbledon’s own logic against them, claiming that on other occasions they had been hesitant to close it at 8:30 pm, nearly an hour later.
Official sunset times in Wimbledon of late have even been as late as after 9 pm.
This is not the first time Novak Djokovic has complained about this Wimbledon decision
Djokovic actually has a longstanding history with the Wimbledon roof, having issued plenty of complaints about it over his many years competing at the All England Club.
During his 2018 semi-final against Rafael Nadal, he clashed with officials over whether the match, which had already started late, should continue under floodlights or be halted until the next day.
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Then, in 2022, he echoed yesterday’s sentiment as they sought to shut the roof when he felt there was still more than enough light.
In 2024, he was also frustrated with the roof, but for a different reason. He suggested that the new conditions created by its closure made the courts slippery and dangerous, a point he had also raised the year prior when players were slipping regularly.
