Novak Djokovic was involved in an awkward exchange with an interviewer at the ATP Finals despite beating Hubert Hurkacz as the world No 1 faces a nervous wait over his hopes of progressing. The Serbian’s fate lies out of his hands despite overcoming the Pole in three sets and it appears the unusual feeling of pressure on his shoulders may have taken its toll as he looked unamused in his post-match interview.
After being told to wait by Djokovic for the noise to die down, the interviewer asks: “You seemed upset in that second set. What happened in this match?”
Djokovic, who then appeared a little perplexed by the question, hits back: “Why? Why was I upset? I lost the set, so it’s normal.”
Noting the blunt response from the tennis icon, the reporter retreated with their next question: “How do you reflect on the match?” they asked, to which Djokovic simply nodded and replied: “Good win, good win,” before ending the interview.
It has been a strange week for Djokovic, who was booed by the crowd during his defeat to Jannik Sinner. His fate now rests in the hands of the man who conquered him earlier this week.
Sinner, who ended the world No 1’s 19-match winning streak with a three-set victory to score the claim the biggest scalp of his career, takes on Holger Rune in the evening session.
And if the Italian records a third straight win on home turf, he will bring Djokovic through to the semi-finals with him. However, if Rune manages to pull off a shock and beat the 22-year-old, Djokovic will crash out of the tournament.