Novak Djokovic showed off his playful side before producing another masterclass on Centre Court, joking with a ball girl during a changeover and then sweeping past Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the third round of Wimbledon 2026.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion sparked laughter midway through the match when Tsitsipas left the court for a comfort break. Djokovic asked a ball girl to help remove the tag from the back of his shirt before pretending she had accidentally nicked his neck with the scissors. The youngster looked momentarily stunned before realising it was all part of the Serbian’s joke, with the pair sharing a laugh moments later.
The light-hearted exchange quickly went viral online, becoming one of the standout off-court moments of this year’s Championships.
After the match, Djokovic admitted the prank probably wouldn’t have happened had the contest been much closer.
“I guess these kinds of things happen when you’re two sets up rather than two sets down,” Djokovic said with a smile.
“Stefanos went 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 enjoyed the moment, saying the exchange helped him relax before play resumed.
Djokovic extends Tsitsipas dominance
If the prank entertained the crowd, Djokovic’s tennis underlined why he remains one of the favourites for the title.
The Serbian dismantled Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in a commanding second-round display, extending his winning streak against the Greek to 12 matches. Apart from a brief wobble early in the second set, Djokovic was in complete control, dictating rallies with his trademark precision and exposing Tsitsipas’ one-handed backhand throughout the contest.
His serve proved especially effective, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion winning 82 per cent of points behind his first delivery while converting his break-point opportunities with ruthless efficiency.
The victory marked another step towards Djokovic’s pursuit of a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles crown. After being pushed to four sets by Wu Yibing in the opening round, the Serbian looked far sharper and more authoritative against the former world No. 3.
Djokovic, seeded seventh, will next face France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the third round. If the draw holds, a blockbuster semi-final against defending champion Jannik Sinner could await later in the tournament.
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