Djokovic Battles On, Celebrates In Style With Family

If there was ever a moment for Novak Djokovic to shake off the pressure and share some joy with his children, it came after his grueling fourth-round Wimbledon clash on Monday against Australia’s Alex de Minaur.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion dug deep to win a taxing four-set battle on Centre Court, fighting back from a slow start to seal a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory after more than three hours of intense tennis.

Exhausted but elated, the 37-year-old Serb found the energy to break into his now-signature celebration: a dance with his son and daughter, Stefan and Tara, inspired by Danzel’s 2004 hit Pump It Up. The routine, featuring rhythmic fist-pumps in all directions, has become a family tradition and a viral moment at this year’s tournament.

“My daughter is the master,” Djokovic beamed after his third-round match, when Tara stole the show by performing the moves from the stands. “It’s called pumpa in our language. There’s a song with my kids. Hopefully we can keep going, so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon.”

The dance even caught the attention of Danzel himself, who posted a video of Djokovic’s explanation on Instagram and called it an “honor” to inspire the celebration.

A Tough Test on Court

The match itself was no dance for Djokovic. The world No. 2 looked out of sorts early on, struggling to adjust to windy conditions and dropping the first set after three breaks of serve by the 11th-seeded de Minaur.

Both players traded blows in a chaotic second set that featured a marathon 24-minute game and several momentum shifts. Djokovic, increasingly frustrated by lucky net cords favoring his opponent, finally let out a primal roar after clinching the set.

From there, Djokovic seemed to settle, taking the third set with more authority. But de Minaur came storming back in the fourth, breaking early and threatening to force a deciding fifth. Instead, the 24-time Grand Slam winner responded like a champion—raising his level, breaking twice, and securing his place in the quarterfinals.

“Alex is incredibly fast, maybe the quickest player on tour, especially on grass,” Djokovic said after the match. “It’s tough playing someone like him when you’re not fully feeling the ball. I’m just proud I held firm at the key moments.”

Federer Watches From the Royal Box

Adding to the pressure was the presence of tennis icon Roger Federer in the Royal Box. Djokovic, who is chasing Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles, took time to acknowledge the Swiss legend during his post-match interview.

“I think this might be the first time he’s watched me and I’ve actually won!” Djokovic joked. “It’s great to have Roger here. He’s a huge champion, someone I’ve always admired.”

With the hard-fought win behind him, Djokovic now turns his attention to Italian Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals as he continues his quest for Grand Slam title number 25—and maybe a few more dance moves along the way.