Watch: Djokovic Breaks String but Comically Doesn’t Realize it in Rome

News

Scores

Rankings

Lucky Letcord Podcast

Shop

Pro Gear

Pickleball

Gear Sale

Popular This Week

Casper Ruud and Maria Galligana Are Engaged

Love Match: Madison Keys Marries Bjorn Fratangelo

WTA Awards Nominees for 2024

ITF President Haggerty: Davis Cup Won't Return to Be...

ATP Award Nominees Announced for 2024

Sinner's Extraordinary 2024, By the Numbers

Bob Bryan on U.S. Davis Cup Doubles Decision

Watch: Djokovic Breaks String but Comically Doesn’t Realize it in Rome

It was one of those days for world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. First he whacked his ankle with his racquet and drew blood, then he nearly hit a ballkid with an errant return and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct reprimand. But this strange interlude in the third set takes the cake. Watch as Djokovic shanks a forehand to give Kei Nishikori a break point and suspects that the ball is broken.

He asks for the ball and when he checks it he realizes it is fine and starts to prepare to serve. What Djokovic doesn’t realize is that his string was broken on the previous point. Luckily Mohamed Lahyani was nice enough to warn him, LOUDLY.

Djokovic cracks a big, embarrassed smile when he looks down to see his mangled stringbed, while Nishikori, likely nonplussed that Djokovic received help from the umpire, wears a puzzled, angry visage.

Novak had the broken string, Nishikori got the break a few points later, and Djokovic won the match, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5), to reach the final.

What a long (3:01), strange trip it was.

Posted: