Novak Djokovic was seen in a tense conversation with his wife Jelena during his five-set thriller with Francisco Cerundulo.
The Serbian great was again pushed to five sets as he continues his up-and-down campaign at the French Open, having gone the distance with Lorenzo Musetti in a clash that ended after 3am on Sunday morning.
Djokovic enters the competition as the reigning champion, but has yet to consistently display the form he has shown throughout his amazing run at this year’s French Open.
With the defense of his title back on the line, Djokovic found himself with a 2-0 lead in the decisive fifth set, but after conceding a point at 30-30 he was visibly incensed.
He then returned to collect more balls to begin his next serve, before addressing his family in the Philippe-Chatrier court box.
Novak Djokovic reached the quarterfinals of the French Open by beating Francisco Cerundolo
The reigning champion was seen in a tense exchange with his wife Jelena during the match.
Jelena was standing in the players’ box responding after Djokovic lost a point on his serve.
Cameras captured the tense exchange, with Djokovic making angry hand gestures and yelling at his team.
His wife Jelena can then be seen standing in the box of the stands, responding in the same way to her husband.
After a few seconds, the exchange ended and Djokovic returned to doing what he does best: snatching victories from the jaws of defeat.
He finally sealed his place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3 victory in the fifth to leave the score 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 and will be in action on Wednesday.
He will face Norway’s Casper Ruud, who has been to four sets in his last two outings after another five sets against Alejandro Davidovich Fokana.
By securing his place in Wednesday’s quarter-final clash, Djokovic also earned himself another record to add to his long list of incredible feats.
He earned his 370th Grand Slam victory on Monday, surpassing Roger Federer’s 369, which he had equaled against Musetti for the record.
Affected by an injury to his right knee, furious at the state of the court, losing two sets to one and a break, the 37-year-old survived thanks to the almost supernatural force of his will.
The exchange apparently ended after he returned to his duty station and his wife sat down.
Cerundolo, number 27 in the world, did a good job but was still defeated
The world number one was battling a knee problem, which forced him to undergo treatment.
At four hours and 39 minutes, it was Djokovic’s longest match in French Open history, but it still took a toll on his body.
He revealed that he will have tests on his knee on Tuesday and had contemplated withdrawing from the game.
“For the last two weeks I have had slight discomfort in my right knee,” he revealed after another incredible victory.
‘But I was playing with it and I had no problems until today. Of course, the late finish a few nights ago didn’t help.
‘In the third game of the second set, I slipped, one of many times I slipped and fell today. That affected the knee.
“At one point, to be honest, I didn’t know if I should continue. I got medication and then after the third set I asked for more.
Djokovic showed impressive resilience and managed to persevere under difficult circumstances.
Following his last victory, Djokovic has amassed a record 370 Grand Slam victories.
“That was the maximum dose that took effect after 30 to 45 minutes, which was near the end of the quarter when things really started to improve.
‘Basically, the entire fifth set was almost pain-free. But the effect of the medicine will not last long. We did some tests with the doctor after the game. Some positive news but also some concerns, so we’ll see tomorrow.”
