Novak Djokovic penalized for ‘hindrance’ due to extended grunt in Wimbledon semifinals

Four-time defending Wimbledon champ and current #2 seed Novak Djokovic is rolling over #8 seed Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals, but he ran into a minor hiccup along the way. Djokovic was called for hindrance on a play and lost a point to Sinner.

Tennis rules prevent a player from behaving in any manner they want, and this applies often to the grunting we hear. A player is allowed to grunt, given the difficulty of the game, but they cannot grunt so much that it interferes with their opponent’s ability to execute.

Hindrance can apply to a variety of behaviors, but in this case, the umpire decided Djokovic’s grunt carried on too long into Sinner’s attempt to return a shot. It cost Djokovic a point and dropped him down 30-15 in the game. He ended up winning the game and currently leads 6-3, 4-3 in their semifinal match.