WATCH: Novak Djokovic hilariously mimes penalty kick as his Wimbledon 3R clash interrupted by England's Euro 2024 QF win making Centre Court erupt
Novak Djokovic's 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) third-round win over Alexei Popyrin at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday, July 6, was interrupted as news of England's penalty shootout triumph against Switzerland at Euro 2024 reached Centre Court.
The match was tied at 1-1 after regular and extra time, and a penalty shootout ensued, with England winning 5-3 to reach the semifinals of the tournament, where they will face Netherlands.
Unsurprisingly, the crowd erupted in applause for the English team, and Djokovic and Popyrin took turns to mime a penalty kick, with the Serb miming a penalty taker and the Australian miming a goalkeeper. At the time, the the World No. 2 was leading 4-1 in the second set, having lost the first, and the sixth game was underway, with the score at 30-30.
Watch the moment unfold below:
Meanwhile, Djokovic made a sluggish start to his match against Popyrin on Centre Court. The Australian's booming serves and powerful forehand proved telling, as the Serb lost the first set. However, the 24-time Grand Slam winner upped his level across the second and third sets, winning them convincingly. In the tight but decisive fourth set, Djokovic stamped his authority during the tiebreak to put the contest to bed.
"I tried to shoot a penalty" - Novak Djokovic on him and Alexei Popyrin miming a penalty kick
Djokovic was quizzed about the lighthearted moment with opponent Popyrin during his post-match, on-court interview, with the Centre Court crowd still buzzing in delight after England's win. The Serb said that he had "assumed" that England's Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Switzerland had gone the distance. The 24-time Major winner also reflected briefly on miming a penalty kick with Popyrin.
"I assumed that it was a penalty shootout between England and Switzerland. It felt like for a set and a half that the crowd really wanted to understand what the score was. I tried to shoot a penalty. I’m left-footed, but Alexei defended it well," Djokovic said.
The Serb is set to face Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday, July 8, in what would be their sixth meeting on the ATP Tour. Djokovic leads Rune 3-2 in the pair's head-to-head.
If the World No. 2 comes out on top against the Dane, he will face either Arthur Fils or ninth seed Alex de Minaur in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.