Yardbarker
x
'It was a crazy experience,' Hitting partner Jessica Matthews reveals why she kicked Novak Djokovic off the court
PA Images/Alamy Images

Playing against some of the best tennis players has been a dream for many youngsters and teenager Jessica Matthews has been getting this opportunity since 2023, when she took up the job of professional hitting partner. She is also the one who kicked off Novak Djokovic from practice. 

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was practicing with his son Stefan Djokovic on the Wimbledon practice courts at Aorangi Park, but on that same court, Matthews and Denmark’s Clara Tauson were to practice. The Serb kept practicing even though his time was up and Matthews had to remind him of that. Djokovic apologized and walked off the court. 

We slowly started creeping on and Djokovic was like, sorry, sorry. He was hitting with his son Stefan. It was a crazy experience, kicking off Djokovic when everyone was watching him play. Jessica Matthews told iNews

Matthews, 19, has been a hitting partner to players like Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, and Sloane Stephens. She wishes to become a player and play at Wimbledon one day. 

Novak Djokovic gets warning from Lorenzo Musetti ahead of semifinal clash 

There were doubts about Novak Djokovic‘s Wimbledon participation after his surgery on his knee. He damaged his knee during the Roland Garros, which also forced him to pull out of the quarterfinal clash. 

A few weeks later after the surgery, Djokovic arrived in London to practice but was unsure whether to play or not. He played all his matches with ease and reached his 13th semifinal at the SW19 (after receiving a walkover from an injured Alex de Minaur). In the second men’s semifinal, he will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who thinks he has a chance to beat the seven-time Wimbledon champion.

Of course, yeah, for me, it’s kind of magic day. I have to say after the birth of my son, I will be put in the second position today for my career. Of course, for my career, it is the best day of my life. I think I can have a chance with Nole in the next round. Of course, I have played him many times on different stages. Lorenzo Musetti said after the match 

Djokovic and Musetti played each other six times, with the former winning five of those matches. Their previous meeting was in the Roland Garros third round, which the former World No.1 won in five sets. 

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!