Djokovic clashes with officials over Centre Court roof timing
Novak Djokovic expressed fury at Wimbledon officials after they decided to close the roof on Centre Court during his quarter-final match against Felix Auger-Aliassime on July 7, 2026. The seven-time Wimbledon champion questioned the timing of the decision, which came at 7:40 PM, arguing that previous matches had been allowed to continue until later without the roof being shut.
Djokovic questions consistency of rule enforcement
According to reports, Djokovic was heard confronting the match official, saying: 'Why now? The other day you didn’t want to close it until like 8.30 but now you want to close it? You don’t want to get to 8.30? It’s 7.40 now, we could play a whole new set in that time.' He added: 'I don’t care what happened with other matches I’m talking about now. In the first round you didn’t close it until like 8.20 and now you want to close it at 7.40? Where’s the consistency?'
Accusations of rule-breaking
The Serbian star accused tournament organizers of failing to adhere to their own regulations, stating: 'You guys are so proud of your rules and you’re not sticking to any kind of rules. We have no idea what the rule is. This is an outdoor tournament.' The incident highlights ongoing debates about the All England Club's policies regarding roof closures and their impact on match conditions.
