Novak Djokovic's controversial 'pump it up' Wimbledon celebration explained

Novak Djokovic repeated his ‘pump it up’ celebration after easing past Dan Evans and into the third round at Wimbledon. The seven-time champion saw off the home favourite with ease on Centre Court, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, before performing his eye-catching moves.

Djokovic was in imperious form on Thursday afternoon and easily dealt with world No.154 Evans. After shaking hands with his opponent at the net and with the chair umpire, Djokovic blew some kisses to the crowd and tapped his chest before turning towards his box.

He performed a version of the same celebration he did after beating Alexandre Muller in the first round: pumping his hands towards the ground, before repeating the action to the sides and above his head.

The celebration has proven contentious in Serbia, because the word “pump” has become synonymous with a student rebellion against the regime. However, Djokovic himself has a different explanation for his chosen celebration.

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"Pumping? I’ll celebrate every victory like that!” he said after the Muller win. “It’s between me and my kids. We’ve got two songs we’ve been listening to lately. We talked about how that choreography could be fitting for every win at Wimbledon.

“That’s how I’ll celebrate in the future at Wimbledon. It’s a symbolic parallel! One is a foreign song, a dance hit called 'Pump It Up,' and the other is 'Throw Everything Off,' where at one point it says 'pump it, pump it, why’d you stop.'"

Yet there is a feeling that Djokovic may be making a political comment for his Serbian compatriots. He has previously praised students who have protested against the regime in his home country on social media, worn a hoodie which read "students are champions" in public and dedicated a victory at the Australian Open to a student who was injured during a protest.

"The phrase ‘pump it up’ has become widely used in Serbia in recent months, amid the large-scale student protests," BBC Serbia reporter Slobodan Maricic told BBC Sport.

"They were sparked by the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which claimed 16 lives. Djokovic has referenced the protests on several occasions and events happening on the streets across Serbia."

The 38-year-old steered clear of making any controversial comments in his on-court post-match interview. “Thanks for coming out on the Centre Court again. I think everyone knew that it would be a special atmosphere,” Djokovic said to the crowd.

"A Brit in Britain is never easy to face. Dan Evans can be causing a lot of trouble if you are not on your game which I think I was from the beginning to be honest. I knew exactly what I needed to do and I executed it perfectly. Sometimes you have these kinds of days where everything goes your way."

Commenting on his 99th win at Wimbledon, he added: "It means that I have been playing for quite a long time! I still enjoy it and this sport has given me so much. Wimbledon still remains the most special tournament in my heart and the one that I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid. Any history made here is very special for me."