WATCH: When Novak Djokovic let out an emotionally-charged roar after beating Matteo Berrettini at French Open
At the end of Novak Djokovic's 2021 French Open quarterfinal clash against Matteo Berrettini, the Serb let out an emotionally-charged roar after converting match point in the fourth set of a dramatic encounter.
Djokovic later admitted that he had been feeling tense throughout the match, and the roar at the end was a way for him to relieve himself of the tension.
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Bizarre scenes unfolded at Roland Garros that night, as the crowd in attendance was persuaded to leave the arena in light of an imminent curfew aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time an emotional Djokovic roared in the direction of his team, not a single spectator remained.
The match itself was a one-sided affair over the first two sets as Djokovic outplayed Berrettini to take a 6-3, 6-2 lead. However, the Italian turned it around in the crucial third set, clinching it after Djokovic faltered in the tiebreak. The Serb needed to win two service points to put the match to bed, but choked.
In the fourth set, Djokovic recovered to win it 7-5. After the match, the Serb opened up about the tension that he felt before letting out the roar.
"I just felt under tension the entire time. I felt like I missed some of the chances to end the match in the third set. I didn’t want to give him too much opportunities to dictate the match. The reaction in the end was just me liberating that tension that was building up for the entire match," Djokovic said (via The Guardian).
Novak Djokovic recovered from a poor start to dominate Rafael Nadal in the semifinal
Djokovic got off to the worst possible start in the semis against Nadal, despite sounding confident ahead of the match. The Spaniard, who was vying for his 14th French Open title at the time, won the first five games as the Serb looked shell-shocked.
Eventually though, Djokovic did recover and despite losing the first set 3-6, he stormed back and won the next three sets 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2. The Serb's powers of recovery were on full display in the final as well, as he emerged triumphant after a 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It marked Djokovic's second French Open title, five years after his 2016 triumph (where he defeated Andy Murray in the final). The Serb would go on to eclipse Nadal and break new ground with the most Grand Slam title wins in men's tennis after winning the French Open for the third time in 2023. Djokovic won the 2023 final in straight sets against Casper Ruud.