Novak Djokovic claimed his 106th men's singles victory at Wimbledon yesterday, eclipsing Roger Federer's previous record at the All England Club. The Serbian veteran defeated Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to secure his place in the quarter-finals.
However, the milestone was marred by controversy during a fractious third set. The 39-year-old received a code violation from German umpire Timo Janzen after appearing to shout "bull****" along with Serbian expletives when broken to trail 2-0.
The outburst came as the qualifier seized momentum, with Djokovic visibly struggling to maintain composure in the sweltering conditions.
The Centre Court crowd turned on their seven-time champion moments later when Safiullin fired a powerful forehand directly at Djokovic's body from close range.
Novak Djokovic apologised after his outburst at Wimbledon
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The Serbian barely managed to evade the shot, performing what observers described as "Matrix" moves to avoid being struck.
His response drew immediate disapproval from spectators. Djokovic grabbed a loose ball and smashed it away long after the point had concluded, prompting widespread booing throughout the arena.
BBC commentator Tim Henman noted the Serbian had already received a warning, while John McEnroe reminded viewers of Djokovic's previous incidents, including his default at the US Open for striking a lineswoman.
Speaking to BBC pundit Annabel Croft during his on-court interview, Djokovic addressed his conduct directly. "And the outbursts as well... The outbursts, you know, the meltdowns. I had a few of those today. I apologise," he told the former British number one.
Novak Djokovic had been booed by the Wimbledon crowd earlier
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The exchange proved somewhat awkward, with Croft initially appearing uncertain about what he was referencing.
Djokovic later expanded on his emotional displays, acknowledging they were not something he took pride in. "Sometimes it helps to kind of just filter things that are building inside," he explained. "Not something I'm proud of when I get warning or something like that."
Despite reaching his 17th Wimbledon quarter-final and 66th major last-eight appearance overall, Djokovic offered a candid assessment of his performance. "To be honest, haven't felt really great on the court, so I was just relieved to get out of it and get a win," he admitted.
The Serbian added that satisfaction had eluded him during the victory. "Hopefully next match will be better in that sense," he said, attributing his struggles to Safiullin's pressure rather than physical issues.
Djokovic now awaits the winner of the clash between third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, with defending champion Jannik Sinner a potential semi-final opponent.