Novak Djokovic Disrupts Play Over Unexpected Floodlight Switch At Australian Open 2025

Novak Djokovic advanced to the next round of the Australian Open after winning in four sets against Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria, with scores of 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. However, he lost the second set and had a small disagreement with the chair umpire during the match.

Novak Djokovic Advances to Next Round with Four-Set Victory Over Faria

At 5-5 in the second set, the floodlights at Rod Laver Arena were switched on, which upset Novak Djokovic because the lights were turned on unexpectedly during the set. Normally, stadiums wait until a set is finished or consult both players before making such a change, as it can impact visibility and affect how the ball behaves.

A video of the incident shows Novak Djokovic talking to the chair umpire, initially explaining the situation in French before switching to English when Faria joined the conversation.

Novak Djokovic Disrupts Play Over Unexpected Floodlight Switch At Australian Open 2025

Floodlight Incident Disrupts Djokovic’s Focus During Second Set

The two players appeared to agree on the matter, with Djokovic asking Faria, “We will wait for them to switch them off?” They then reached a consensus, with Djokovic saying, “We can wait for the end of the set if they want to switch them on.”

Faria also asked Novak Djokovic if he had requested the lights to be turned on, then added, “Me neither,” implying that he wasn’t consulted about the decision either and that he could see fine without the lights.

Novak Djokovic seemed to lose focus for a moment at a key point in the second set. The 21-year-old Faria took advantage and won the tiebreaker 7-4. However, Djokovic quickly regained his composure and won the next two sets to secure his place in the next round.

Next, Novak Djokovic will face world number 25 Tomas Machac from Czechia, who defeated Reilly Opelka earlier. Djokovic’s fans might be a little worried after he dropped two sets to lower-ranked, less experienced opponents in the earlier rounds.

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