During his first-round match at Wimbledon on Monday, Novak Djokovic shared a lighthearted moment with fans when a marriage proposal occurred during a break in play. The Serbian tennis star, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, gave the couple a thumbs-up and declared, "I want an invitation to the wedding." The couple reciprocated with a thumbs-up from the stands.
The incident quickly gained widespread attention online, with many viewers praising Djokovic's reaction. Comments on social media included "He is such a sweet man" and "Djokovic asking for a wedding invite is peak Novak."
However, the proposal also drew criticism from some spectators who felt the timing was inappropriate and distracted from the match. "The weird couple making the match about them… arrogant and narcissistic," one commenter wrote, with another adding, "Always seeking for attention."
Wedding proposals are not uncommon at major sporting events. In a similar incident at Wimbledon in 1996, Steffi Graf was proposed to by a fan, to which she humorously responded, "How much money do you have?" Djokovic himself experienced a marriage proposal at the 2025 Australian Open, where he responded to the fan by saying, "Sorry, mate, I have a wife. We can have a drink, though."
Djokovic, married to Jelena since 2014 and father to two children, secured his progression to the second round of Wimbledon by defeating China's Wu Yibing in four sets: 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The match, attended by Sir David Beckham, was described by Djokovic as "really challenging" and a surprise due to Wu's strong performance. "He put me under a lot of pressure, I never faced him before," Djokovic stated post-match. "He definitely surprised me with the level of every shot in his game. At some point, he didn't have a weakness."
Djokovic is aiming to become the oldest Wimbledon men's singles champion in the Open era, a record previously held by Roger Federer, who was 35 when he won in 2017. The 39-year-old Djokovic's victory also included a moment where he was booed by some in the crowd after playing an imaginary violin with his racquet as Wu left the court to applause.