Novak Djokovic stunned by Wimbledon fan's surprise U-turn over iconic gesture

Novak Djokovic beamed as he was told a fan who infamously rooted against him during his 2019 Wimbledon final with Roger Federer was now a supporter. The epic showdown at the prestigious London Grand Slam saw the Serbian star and Swiss maestro locked at two sets each.

With Federer on the brink of securing his ninth Wimbledon crown at 40-15 in the deciding set, it seemed irrefutable that Djokovic would be the runner-up. Amidst the high-stakes drama, one spectator became an overnight sensation among tennis enthusiasts by gesturing with a single finger towards Federer, indicating he was a mere point away from victory.

However, destiny had a twist in store. Djokovic, showing nerves of steel, saved two championship points against him and eventually triumphed through a thrilling tiebreak. Despite the intense pressure and remarkable comeback, Djokovic's reaction was one of calm composure as he met Federer at the net for a handshake.

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The memory of the enthusiastic fan from six years prior resurfaced during an interview at this year's Wimbledon, where Djokovic said: "I haven't seen it when I was playing on the court, but I know exactly when it happened because lots of my fans have been sharing, reposting that picture, and they still do after six years.

"Remembering 2019 finals is very positive for me because I won it, coming back from two match points down. But I can't really use that photo as the main reference of the match because that means I would be poking a finger in someone's eyes.

"But I do understand why my fans are sharing that, and that's okay, in the heat of the battle those things happen. And he was one point away, it didn't happen. It's sport," reports the Express.

When the journalist added: "I talked to her today, she's rooting for you," Djokovic appeared genuinely surprised, responding with "You talked with her today? She's rooting for me now? Wow, okay, that's a nice turnaround. I'm very thankful for that," with a broad smile.

In pursuit of adding an eighth Wimbledon title to his collection, and a staggering 25th Grand Slam in total, Djokovic glided past Alexandre Muller, Dan Evans and Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening rounds before beating Alex de Minaur in the Round of 16.

Wednesday saw him clinch a quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli, setting up a highly anticipated semi-final clash with current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Centre Court come Friday.

Victory there could pit him against either Taylor Fritz or reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in what promises to be a thrilling final showdown come Sunday.

Djokovic, who has been defeated by Alcaraz in the finals of the last two years, managed to get his own back on the 22-year-old Spaniard by clinching the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year.