- Novak Djokovic went to five sets for a second match in a row at the French Open
- The Serbian was spotted exchanging terse words with his wife, Jelena, on court
- Djokovic produces STUNNING comeback to beat Francisco Cerundulo in Paris
Novak Djokovic was spotted engaging in a tense conversation with his wife Jelena during his five set thriller with Francisco Cerundulo.
The Serbian great was once again taken to five sets as his up-and-down French Open campaign continues, 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 not yet consistently been able to show the form that he has showcased throughout his staggering career at this year’s French Open.
With his title defence again on the line, Djokovic found himself a break up at 2-0 in the decisive fifth set, but after conceding a point for 30-30 he was visibly incensed.
He then walked back to pick up more balls to begin his next service, before turning to his family in the box on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Novak Djokovic reached the French Open quarter-finals by overcoming Francisco Cerundolo
The reigning champions was seen in a tense exchange with his wife Jelena during the match
Jelena was up on her feet in the player’s box responding after Djokovic dropped a point on serve
The cameras caught the tense exchange, with Djokovic gesturing angrily with his hands and shouting up at his team.
His wife Jelena can then be seen stood up in the box in the stands, responding in kind to her husband.
After a few seconds the exchange was over and Djokovic returned to what he does best – pulling victories out of the jaws of defeat.
He eventually sealed his spot in the quarter-finals with a 6-3 win in the fifth to make it 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 and will next be in action on Wednesday.
He will take on Casper Ruud of Norway, who has been to four sets in his last two outings after another five setter against Alejandro Davidovich Fokana.
In securing his spot in Wednesday’s last-eight clash, Djokovic also earned himself another record to add to his bulging list of incredible feats.
He earned his 370th Grand Slam win on Monday, surpassing Roger Federer’s 369 that he had drawn level with against Musetti to take the record outright.
Hobbled by a right knee injury, raging at the state of the court, trailing by two sets to one and by a break, the 37-year-old survived by the almost supernatural power of his will.
The exchange was seemingly over after he returned to his service position and his wife then sat down
Cerundolo, ranked No 27 in the world, gave a good account of himself but was still defeated
The world No 1 was struggling with a knee problem, which led to him having treatment
At four hours and 39 minutes it was Djokovic’s longest ever match at the French Open, but it was not without toll on his body.
He revealed that he will be having tests on his knee on Tuesday, and had contemplated pulling out of the match.
‘For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort in the right knee,’ he revealed after yet another incredible win.
‘But I was playing with it and no issues until today. Of course the late finish from few nights ago didn’t help.
‘In the third game of the second set, I slipped, one of the many times I slipped and fell today. That affected the knee.
‘At one point I didn’t know, to be honest, whether I should continue. I got medication and then, after the third set, I asked for more.
Djokovic showed impressive resilience as he managed to persevere in difficult circumstances
Following his latest victory, Djokovic has now amassed a record-breaking 370 Grand Slam wins
‘That was the maximum dose that kicked in after 30 to 45 minutes, which was just about the end of the fourth when things started to really improve.
‘Basically the whole fifth set was almost without any pain. But the effect of the medication will not last for too long. We have done some tests with the doctor after the match. Some positive news but also some concerns, so let’s see tomorrow.’