Novak Djokovic was spotted in a tense conversation with his wife Jelena during his five-set thriller with Francisco Cerundulo.
The Serbian powerhouse – who has since withdrawn from Wednesday’s quarter-final against Casper Ruud due to a knee injury – was taken to five sets again as his up-and-down French Open campaign continued, having gone the distance with Lorenzo Musetti in a clash that ended after 3am on Sunday morning.
Djokovic entered the competition as the reigning champion but had failed to consistently display the form he has shown during his dazzling career at this year’s French Open.
On Monday, with his title defense on the line again, Djokovic suffered a break at 2-0 in the deciding fifth set, but after being awarded a point for 30-30 he was visibly indignant.
He then walked back to pick up more balls to begin his next serve before turning to his family in the box on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Novak Djokovic reached the quarter-finals of the French Open by beating Francisco Cerundolo
The reigning champion was seen in a tense conversation with his wife Jelena during the match
Jelena stood up in the player’s box and reacted after Djokovic dropped a point on serve
The cameras captured the tense altercation, with Djokovic gesticulating angrily with his hands and shouting at his team.
You then see his wife Jelena standing upright in the box in the stands and responding to her husband in the same way.
After a few seconds, the exchange was over and Djokovic returned to what he did best: snatching victories from the jaws of defeat.
He eventually sealed his spot in the quarter-finals with a 6-3 victory in the fifth, making the score 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, before withdrawing from the tournament on Tuesday .
He would face Norway’s Ruud, who played four sets in his last two matches, after another five setters against Alejandro Davidovich Fokana.
By securing his spot in Wednesday’s round of 16, Djokovic also earned another record to add to his bulging list of incredible achievements.
He achieved his 370th Grand Slam victory on Monday, surpassing Roger Federer’s 369, which tied him against Musetti, and taking the record straight away.
Hampered by a right knee injury, furious at the state of the court, trailing by two sets to one and facing a break, the 37-year-old survived by the almost supernatural force of his will.
The exchange was apparently over after he returned to his duty position and his wife sat down
Cerundolo, number 27 in the world, gave a good impression of himself, but was still defeated
The world number 1 was struggling with a knee problem, which led to him receiving treatment
At four hours and 39 minutes, it was Djokovic’s longest ever match at the French Open, but it was not without its toll on his body.
He revealed he will undergo tests on his knee on Tuesday and had considered withdrawing from the match.
“For the last few weeks I have had a slight discomfort in the right knee,” he revealed after another incredible win.
‘But I played with it and until today there were no problems. Of course, the late finish a few nights ago didn’t help.
‘In the third game of the second set I slipped, one of the many times I slipped and fell today. That had consequences for the knee.
‘At one point I honestly didn’t know whether I should continue. I was given medication and after the third set I asked for more.
Djokovic showed impressive resilience and managed to persevere in difficult circumstances
After his latest victory, Djokovic has now achieved a record 370 Grand Slam victories
“That was the maximum dose that took effect after 30 to 45 minutes, which was about the end of the fourth when things really started to improve.
‘In fact, the entire fifth set went almost without pain. But the effect of the medication will not last too long. After the match we did some tests together with the doctor. There is positive news, but also concerns, so let’s take a look tomorrow.’