Before stepping onto Centre Court today, Novak Djokovic knew he had a golden opportunity to draw level with Roger Federer’s record for most wins at Wimbledon. He even moved closer to that mark after taking the opening set 7-5 against Arthur Rinderknech. But as the match unfolded, the spotlight quickly shifted. Something about his tennis gear appeared off, and it soon became the biggest talking point on court.

During the first set, the 39-year-old was clearly unhappy with his shoes. After giving away a break point, he sat down in his chair and decided to change into another pair before heading back onto the court.

The reason soon became obvious to the fans. On court, Nole kept slipping and sliding, losing his balance again and again as he struggled to stay steady during long rallies.

Although the 24-time Grand Slam winner made some great shots, his footwear appeared to be bothering him big time. Nole seemed nervous, angry, and far from comfortable out on Centre Court. At one point, he even shouted toward his coaches’ box as the frustration kept building.

And this is not the first time the Serb has dealt with slipping problems at the All-England Club. Djokovic had already slipped multiple times during his opening-round match against Yibing Wu. Even at the end of the match, he once again pointed to the slippery grass and the impact of the roof being closed.

“It felt like we played two different matches: without roof on and obviously closed roof. It affects the conditions. It affects the moisture of the grass; it becomes a bit more slippery,” he added.

That issue with his grip on the grass court has clearly been bothering him, especially because it affects the structural grip of his Asics shoes on slick surfaces. When that grip gives way, it can leave him stumbling, sliding, and losing his balance in the middle of long rallies.

In fact, one of the seven-time SW19 champion’s most memorable slips at the All-England Club came all the way back in the 2014 final, when he lost his footing against Roger Federer. 

And while he has now tried to deal with the issue by changing his shoes, it is far from a new concern for him at SW19.

Serena Williams exited SW19 after suffering an ankle injury

While Novak’s slipping problems at SW19 did not force him to retire until now, things turned far worse for Serena Williams back in 2021. 

Facing Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Williams had broken serve to move 3-1 ahead. But then the match changed very quickly. Williams badly twisted her left ankle, and from that moment, it was clear she was struggling badly with her movement.

The Belarusian broke straight back. Williams, whose right thigh was already heavily strapped, was then forced to leave the court for a medical time-out. The seven-time SW19 winner did return to Centre Court and tried to continue the match. But by then, Sasnovich had already levelled things up at 3-3.

Soon after, another slip from the American left her lying on the ground. She was eventually helped to her feet by the chair umpire, and minutes after that, her retirement from the match was officially confirmed.

Even in 2026, slipping has again become a talking point at SW19. Jannik Sinner also dealt with the issue during his opening-round match against Miomir Kecmanović.

During that match, the Italian’s right shoe was stained with blood after several slips on the court. The sight of it quickly caught the attention of the fans, especially with the all-white dress code at the All-England Club.

“I’m good. It just seems much worse than it is. I’m actually very surprised they let me keep playing because all white [shoe], it turned into a little red,” Sinner said after the match.

Now, with the slipping issue once again coming into focus at Centre Court, the attention shifts back to Novak and what comes next. Given how much his game relies on flexibility and movement, fans will now be hoping the Serb can come through his French opponent without any problems.