Novak Djokovic’s on-court rant watched by his wife Jelena has been “decoded” by internet sleuths who claim he declared “I could kill right now” before his wife Jelena urged him.
The Serbian great exploded with anger during his five-set thriller with Francisco Cerundulo in the fourth round of the French Open today.
One Serbian speaker told MailOnline that Novak was seen saying: “I could kill right now” before his supportive wife Jelena urged him to “come on”.
In Serbia, a statement about being so angry they could kill is largely a joke and should not be taken literally.
Despite his epic victory, Djokovic withdrew from Wednesday’s quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud due to a knee injury.
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.
Djokovic 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 entered the competition as the reigning champion, but had been unable to consistently display the form he has shown throughout his amazing run at this year’s French Open.
On Monday, with the defense of his title again 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.
Cameras captured the tense exchange between Djokovic and his wife Jelena, as he made angry hand gestures and shouted 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 quarterfinals with a 6-3 victory in the fifth to leave the score 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 before withdrawing from the tournament on Tuesday.
Jelena Djokovic, 37, describes herself as a “curious soul” and founder of the Novak Djokovic Foundation.
The charity, which she runs with her husband, seeks to help children reach their full potential by investing in early childhood development, especially early education.
Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Jelena left her home country to study abroad when she was 18 years old. She moved to Italy and then to Morocco, where she has lived for the last 12 years.
The couple began dating in 2005 before getting engaged in 2013. Together they have two children, a son, Steven Djokovic, and a daughter, Tara Djokovic.
But their marriage has been plagued by cheating rumors for the past decade.
In 2019, the couple was dogged by split rumors after Jelena did not attend any of their matches at Wimbledon, The Sun reported.
The couple insisted this was because their daughter was too young to attend, but their fifth wedding anniversary was also unmarked.
Comments were made by tennis expert John McEnroe in July 2017, who inferred that Djokovic’s poor form was due to family problems and compared this decline to Tiger Woods, who separated from his wife after it was revealed that he had cheated on her with 120 women.
According to The Sun, McEnroe said: “Woods had problems with his wife and then seemed to go completely off the rails and has never been close to being the same player.”
Novak was taken aback by the comments but said: “He has the right to say the things he wants to say.” I don’t necessarily need to agree with that. But it’s his right.’
Djokovic has also fueled rumors through his friendships with other women, including Serbian pop star Natasa Bekvalac and his ex-girlfriend DJ Lady Lee. Although both have dismissed any suggestion that anything untoward is happening.
It’s this philanthropic work that Jelena considers one of the “most important” things she and her athlete husband have ever done.
Jelena is a powerful advocate for children and last October, she spoke at the International Conference on Child Safety.
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena Djokovic attend the Starligue PSG vs Aix-en-Provence match at the Accor Arena in Paris on May 31.
Jelena (pictured) could be seen goading Djokovic following his angry outburst.
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.
Djokovic was due to face Norwegian 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.
Djokovic showed impressive resilience and managed to persevere under difficult circumstances.
Following his last victory, Djokovic has amassed a record 370 Grand Slam victories.
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.
“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.”
