A Christian tennis expert has described Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon defeat as a masterclass in Biblical grace. The reigning champion, who's 36, lost on Sunday to the new world tennis number one, 20-year-old Carlos Alvaraz.
Despite multiple outbursts from the Serbian player – who hadn’t lost on Wimbledon’s Centre Court for nearly a decade – it appears his Christian faith helped him regain his composure at the end of the match.
Djokovic is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and often wears a cross during matches.
Christian Dave Courteen is a long-time tennis fan and expert, and owns a chain of tennis courts and gyms. He watched the nail-biting men's final from the stands, and says there’s an important lesson to learn from Djokovic’s humility.
“During the match Djokovic really struggled to control his anger and his frustration. He smashed his racket on the net post. He got a code violation and he was sort of getting a bit angry with the crowd, but despite what must have been, for him, a hugely disappointing defeat…he spoke with great humility.
The way he actually praised Alcaraz and congratulated him on his win, and just accepted that - you know – he should be very grateful for what he’s actually done.”
“I just thought there was a huge amount of humility and sometimes, for all of us, it's important that we show grace when things don't quite go our way.
“I thought he did that really well at the end - some bumps during the match – but I just thought that was a really appropriate way to end what was an incredible match.”