Tennis legend Novak Djokovic entertained fans with a light-hearted moment during his Wimbledon 2026 second-round clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas, after pulling a playful prank on a ball girl during a break in the match. The humorous incident quickly went viral on social media, drawing laughter from spectators before Djokovic later apologized for briefly startling the youngster.
The incident occurred between the second and third sets while Tsitsipas had temporarily left Centre Court. Djokovic, who was wearing tape on his right shoulder, asked a ball girl to trim a loose piece using a pair of scissors. As she carefully cut the tape, the 24-time Grand Slam champion suddenly pretended that she had accidentally cut him, crying out in mock pain. The ball girl appeared visibly shocked for a moment before Djokovic revealed it was only a joke. Realising what had happened, she smiled and laughed along with the crowd.
Following his dominant 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory, Djokovic addressed the incident during his on-court interview. The Serbian star admitted that the prank may have gone a little too far and offered an apology. “These kinds of things surface when you’re two sets to love up rather than two sets to love down,” Djokovic said. “I’m sorry if I scared her. It probably wasn’t that great of a joke, but it made me a bit more relaxed.”
The viral clip sparked mixed reactions online, with some fans praising Djokovic’s playful personality while others felt the joke may have been a bit too startling. However, many viewers appreciated that the ball girl laughed it off after the prank was revealed and that Djokovic publicly acknowledged her reaction by apologising.
With the comfortable straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic advanced to the third round of Wimbledon 2026, while the amusing exchange became one of the tournament’s most talked-about off-court moments.