During the Wimbledon Championships 2024, second seed Novak Djokovic experienced another intense moment. On Saturday, facing Alexei Popyrin in the third round, Djokovic dropped the first set but fought back to win, securing his place in the round of 16 at SW19. This victory marked his 50th Grand Slam win post-35, joining the elite ranks of Ken Rosewall (64) and Roger Federer (62).
As Djokovic’s match unfolded, Centre Court at the All England Club erupted in celebration when news broke that England had advanced to the Euro 2024 semifinals. Gareth Southgate’s squad had triumphed over Switzerland in a penalty shootout, repeating their feat of making the last four.
The unexpected cheer startled Djokovic and caused Popyrin to pause his service routine with the Australian trailing 1-4 in the second set. Both players found humor in the situation, with Djokovic pretending to take a penalty kick and Popyrin mimicking a goalkeeper.
BBC commentator Andrew Cotter noted the need for a brief pause due to the crowd’s excitement, with Pat Cash commenting on the players’ awareness of the situation. Cotter humorously remarked that neither Djokovic nor Popyrin would be particularly invested in the European Championships, given their Serbian and Australian nationalities, respectively.
Following the match, Djokovic inquired about the final score of the England game and jokingly commented on his mock penalty during the interruption. “I assumed it was a penalty shootout between England and Switzerland. For about a set and a half, the crowd seemed more interested in the football match’s score. Did England win in the end? That’s why everyone stayed! Congrats to England. I tried to shoot a penalty – I’m left-footed, but Alexei defended it well,” Djokovic quipped.
