Tennis star Novak Djokovic lashed out at a fan while losing a match in Monte Carlo this weekend, leveling curses at the spectator from the court in an explosive flare-up caught on video.
Down 3-4 against Norwegian player Casper Ruud, the No. 1-ranked Serb blew up when he hit a forehand out of bounds against his opponent. Immediately after the point was called, Djokovic whirled around and screamed, “Would you shut the f--k up!” at a spectator sitting in the stands.
He yelled so loudly that the court microphones picked it up and commentators were forced to apologize for the profanity. Chair official Mohamed Lahyani intervened but sided with Djokovic, reminding fans not to make calls during the rally, Express UK reported.
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Things didn’t get better for Djokovic after the outburst. His opponent, the tenth-ranked Ruud, trounced him 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the semifinal round of the Monte Carlo Masters, capping an unusually abysmal season for the longest-reigning men’s tennis champ. Earlier this year, he split from his longtime coach Goran Ivanisevic, and he has yet to win a title after playing in four 2024 championships.
He’s also no stranger to dramatic explosions on court. After losing to a teenage Carlos Alcaraz in a stunning Wimbledon upset last year, Djokovic smashed his racket on a net post in anger. That flare-up resulted in an $8,000 fine.
