Novak Djokovic showed a deep act of benevolence that amazed the Wimbledon court coverers just before his practice session on Sunday.
Djokovic was preparing for a crunch clash with 15th seed Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday. He had defeated Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the previous round in four sets.
Once again, Sunday was hit with bad weather, with rain temporarily halting play in matches and the practice courts at Aorangi Park. But once the showers were off, Djokovic helped the staff uncover the courts, running the entire width of the turf.
The seven-time champion was in a good mood and smiling all the way, and the rest of the staff were utterly taken aback by his generosity and eagerness to practice.
Immediately after uncovering the courts, the staff applauded the World No. 2 for lending a helping hand. Wimbledon’s official X account (formerly Twitter) shared the video, which can be seen below.
“When @DjokerNole isn’t winning matches on Centre Court, he’s helping out with the covers.”
Djokovic’s act has also received the recognition of BBC presenter Claire Balding, who labeled him as “superman” while on air. She said, “He’s got a dodgy knee. Look at him, superman. And then pose for a photo, that will have made their day. Good stuff Djokovic.”
It’s been slightly over a month since he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus at Roland Garros, and the 37-year-old’s knee has been doing just fine, although he stated that “everything is far from okay” following his four-set win over Popyrin.
Rune will most certainly be Djokovic’s first big test at the tournament as he bids to reach the quarterfinal. The Serb has dropped at least one set in each of their five meetings, including at the 2023 ATP Finals round-robin stage last November, but they have never played on grass before.
