WATCH: Novak Djokovic does his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression as Serb relishes French Open 4R comeback with 'I'm Here!' celebration
Novak Djokovic played out another five-setter and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 French Open. He got the better of Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round and marked the win with an "I'm Here" celebration by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
In another French Open epic, Djokovic came back from the brink of defeat to keep his title defense alive. He was trailing by two sets to one and a break, but turned the tide in his favor to win 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The Serb finished his third-round match at around 3:00 am on Sunday, June 2. He was expected to be a little fatigued but he looked fresh during the opening set of the fourth round.
After wrapping up the first set quickly, the top seed tweaked his knee at the start of the second set. The issue led to the Serb facing difficulty in movement in the second and third sets. He trailed 2-4 in the fourth and looked set to lose his first-ever encounter against Cerundolo.
Djokovic refused to surrender and forced a decider as the crowd at the Court Philippe-Chatrier powered him on. He put up a strong show in the fifth set to win the match after four hours and 39 minutes.
This was Djokovic's 370th Grand Slam win and makes him the lone king on the list. Before this win, he was tied on 369 wins with Roger Federer. To commemorate another milestone in his career, the World No.1 channeled his inner Ronaldo and did the famed "I'm Here" celebration.
Watch the video below:
Renowned soccer star Ronaldo is also known for his ability to turn the tide in his favor from an unfavorable position. Djokovic also pulled off that act to advance into the quarterfinal of the Paris Slam.
Novak Djokovic credits the fans for his comeback victory in the French Open 2024 4R encounter against Francisco Cerundolo
Novak Djokovic's title defense has been on the brink of destruction twice in the last two rounds. However, the Serb somehow pulls a comeback out of the hat to continue his run. After his comeback win over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round, he was asked how he does it.
"I had the same question from Alex Corretja after the last match. I have to say thank you to the fans, like in the previous match. Against Musetti, it was 2-2 in the fourth set and my energy level changed completely. You gave me a lot of energy," the Serb said.
"Today the same thing happened. You gave me a lot of support. Not much more I can say. Perhaps I was 3 or 4 points from losing this match today. I have to congratulate Francisco because he played with excellent quality," he added.
Djokovic continued:
"He deserves to be applauded. The only explanation I have is thanks to you. So thank you again for all your support."