Before stepping onto Centre Court today, Novak Djokovic knew he had a golden opportunity to draw level with Roger Federer’s most wins at Wimbledon record. 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.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner looked badly out of rhythm on his strokes, and it was clearly 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.

This is a developing story…