A metal disc that was fastened to Novak Djokovic chest during his French Open victory over Marton Fucsovics perplexed both tennis observers and spectators
Djokovic ties a metal disc to his chest.
In order to get to the third round and play Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the World No. 3 defeated his Hungarian opponent in straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-0, 6-3. Djokovic didn’t have it all his own way in the first set, but his superiority finally showed.
What is the metal disc attached to Novak Djokovic chest during French Open 2023 and its purpose
Novak Djokovic’s dalliance with pseudoscience took another bizarre turn at Roland Garros when the world No 1 revealed he is wearing a metal disc on his chest that claims to turn heat into light https://t.co/67aFFjFVVa
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) June 1, 2023
The current French Open winner had an early break advantage but was broken back while serving for the set. Djokovic finally won the first set in a tiebreak after 1 hour, 27 minutes. Unsurprisingly, Djokovic needed to change clothes after being forced to sweat throughout the match. But when he did, he flashed a bizarre metal disc tied to his chest.
Djokovic genuinely didn’t want anyone to know what it was.
The observers were perplexed by it because it appeared to be a small battery. When commentating on the match for Tennis Channel, former pro-Jim Courier commented, “Something taped to Novak.” Have you ever seen Djokovic and Robert Downey Jr. in the same room? He laughed, “Perhaps Novak is Iron Man.”
Later on in the game, a ball girl who was most likely provided by Djokovic’s crew passed him another metal disc. He took out the tape and put it in a new metal disc. So, what was the purpose of the metal disc fastened to his chest?
Djokovic said something regarding the metal disc.
After his win, Djokovic was questioned about it, to which he responded: “I try to imitate Iron Man because I liked him a lot as a kid.” The biggest secret of my profession, he continued cynically, is that my staff provides very effective nanotechnology to help me perform at my best on the court. Without that, he doubts he would be sitting there. He made no attempt to conceal the precise function of the metal disc from the public.
How did tennis fans react?
Many tennis enthusiasts have been debating what it truly accomplished on Reddit, believing that Djokovic is joking. One supporter said, “Maybe a magnet for pain relief.” “Wonder if it’s some sort of fitness tracker or GPS to track his court movement for post-match analysis,” another fan said.
A third person continued, “My guess is some kind of biometric tracker. Anything from steps to heart rate variability or blood sugar levels could be tracked.”