Novak Djokovic landed himself in hot water after becoming furious with the umpire during his victory over Lorenzo Musetti at the Olympics.
Djokovic was given two time violations for taking too long to serve in his semi-final, before proceeding to be given a warning for using an audible obscenity as he ranted at the umpire.
The Philippe-Chatrier spectators actually booed the Serbian superstar as his tirade continued, with even his own team being on the receiving end of a barrage.
However, Djokovic has rarely shied away from clashes with crowds or officials and adversity often brings out his best tennis.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic reveals what he thinks of Lorenzo Musetti
That was the case again against Musetti, as the 37-year-old channeled his anger on to the court and went up through the gears.
Djokovic on the defence
Djokovic ultimately won the second set comfortably after what was a tight opener and made his way through to the final where he will face Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.
Much of the focus after the match was on the world number two’s clash with the official, though, and Djokovic swiftly denied too much wrongdoing after the game.
“I didn’t swear at him, he thought I was, he gave me a warning and that’s fine,” he said.
“He forgave me for something, but those are the rules. Are they ideal? They are not.
“I don’t know what happened rushes with serves, and between games. Some judges are more tolerant, some less, I’m not the only one who oversteps.”
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Djokovic’s anger may have stemmed from his passion to take the gold medal.
For all the 37-year-old success, an Olympic triumph is the biggest thing missing from his trophy cabinet.
Djokovic has made it clear how desperate he is to take the title on Sunday, and admitted he felt nervous going into the game.
“It’s a huge relief because I never got to the Olympics finals, even though I played really well I thought at Olympic Games,’ he said after the match.
“Just to secure a higher medal for the first time for my country, whatever happens on Sunday, it’s huge pride and honour and happiness and that’s why I celebrated the way I did.
“Of course I’m going to go for gold on Sunday, there’s no doubt about it, but this is a big deal.”
Djokovic controversy continues
Over the last few months, Djokovic seemingly cannot avoid controversy.
The 24-time grand slam winner has always been a spiky character but in recent months he has taken things up a notch.
Djokovic criticised the Wimbledon crowds and then stormed out of an interview with the BBC after being questioned on his actions.
His route to the Olympic final so far has been relatively plain sailing, but he certainly did not have all the support of the crowd against Musetti.
Djokovic has praised the fans at the Olympics, but it seems likely that the majority of the support on Sunday may well come for the very popular Alcaraz in the final and it will be interesting to see he responds.
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