Why is Novak Djokovic playing his racket like a violin to celebrate Wimbledon wins?

10 July 2024, 13:17 | Updated: 15 July 2024, 08:59

The 24-time Grand Slam winner is raising his racket in a different way at the All England Club, as part of a sweet musical tribute.

Tennis rackets are more commonly used to ruthlessly dispatch opponents on the tennis court, but in 2024 tennis ace Novak Djokovic is employing a different racket technique – and there’s a heart-warming story behind it.

As he progresses in pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon trophy, the Serbian sporting superstar has developed a new celebration after winning matches, holding his tennis racket like a violin, and miming bowing the strings.

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The musical gesture is for his six-year-old daughter, who is currently learning the violin. “That was for Tara,” Djokovic said in post-match interviews. “My daughter has been playing violin for some time already, six months, and we agreed that I would celebrate that way.”

After his special musical tribute, Djokovic can be seen blowing a kiss towards his family box – to the delight of his daughter.

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During a celebration earlier in the tournament, the Grand Slam-winner appeared to place his imaginary violin the wrong way around, something that did not go unnoticed by the club’s official TikTok account.

Djokovic is bidding to join Roger Federer on eight Wimbledon titles. Coincidently, the Swiss star has also had his share of violinist impersonations. In a 2013 advert for the Lucerne Classical Music Festival, Federer discovered a violin in his tennis bag and tried playing it – watch below.

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Roger Federen takes up the violin in Lucerne Festival 75th anniversary promo

Djokovic has said in interviews that he likes to listen to classical music to unwind. In a 2012 interview he said “[I] listen to classical music because it calms me down – calms my nerves down.”

What a wonderful thing that he’s passing on his love of classical music to his daughter by encouraging her in the violin. We wish Tara all the very best in her musical pursuits.