Novak Djokovic’s US Open quarter-final in 2008 spilled into the locker room as the tennis legend had a fracas with a former World No. 1.
The Serbian won four US Open titles between 2011 and 2023, with Djokovic even playing an impromptu match with John McEnroe in 2009.
Djokovic withdrew from the Cincinnati Open, but the star will return at the US Open as he looks to win his fifth Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
Back in 2008, when Djokovic was yet to win a title in New York, he was involved in a tense altercation with a top star.
Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic’s altercation at the 2008 US Open
Djokovic played and defeated former World No. 1 Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2008, but the action spilled out to the locker room after the match.
Djokovic won in four sets, but the Serbian’s behaviour after his win made the American great extremely unhappy.
He followed Djokovic into the locker room, and the pair confronted each other away from the hustle and bustle of the court.
“I was talking trash, and he came out and beat the pants off me [in the match], as he would, but then kind of chirped afterward,” said Roddick on Fox Sports (via TNT Sports).
“So he comes straight [into the locker room], I went right up to him, had him up against the locker,” explained Roddick. “But then I realised his trainer was a little bit bigger and I kind of checked myself.”
Roddick had a surprisingly excellent record against Djokovic throughout his career, winning five times out of their nine matches.
Novak Djokovic’s fractious relationship with the US Open
The US Open is Djokovic’s worst-performing Grand Slam and the Serbian’s time at Flushing Meadows has often been marred by controversy.
The star was disqualified from the event in 2020 during a fourth-round match with Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta.
Djokovic was 6-5 down in the first set when a burst of frustration derailed his entire Grand Slam in New York.
The Serbian struck a ball out of frustration, which unfortunately hit a lineswoman, and Djokovic’s tournament was over.