The 36-year-old, however, honed in on the umpire’s contentious call to penalise him, leaving the crowd in stitches. “The hindrance call earlier on today in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt really nervous out there after that call but I managed to regroup and it was probably the first time in my career that this happened to me, it doesn’t normally happen the extended grunt,” he said.

“Maybe it was an echo from the roof, I didn’t think I was hindering my opponent but OK he made the call and I respect it… what was the question again because I can’t remember, I just heard hindrance?”

Djokovic was in as good a form off the court as he was on it today, as he left the crowd howling once again after being asked about his age-defying performances at the minute. The defending Wimbledon champion quipped: “I guess 36 is the new 26.” Djokovic had already fired a warning shot to younger rivals hungry to take his spot at the pinnacle of the sport by telling rivals after his scalp that “it ain’t happening”.