"About time he acted like this" - Novak Djokovic finding pleasure in pressure at Wimbledon delights tennis fans

Tennis fans have expressed delight in Novak Djokovic taking joy in having a target on his back as the four-time defending champion at Wimbledon.

Djokovic came from a set down to defeat Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday. With his 31st consecutive victory in the tournament, the Serbian has progressed to his 12th semifinal at the grasscourt Major.

After the win, Djokovic opined that he enjoys the pressure of being the four-time defending champion and having opponents gunning to take him down.

"Pressure awakens the most beautiful emotions in me. [Opponents] want to get the scalp. But it ain't happening," he stated.

Several tennis fans were quick to react to Djokovic's statement, with one stating that it was about time the Serb started acting like the GOAT.

"About time he acted like this. He’s the GOAT. He should act like it," a fan said.

Another fan wrote that the 23-time Grand Slam champion has finally shed his 'Mr Nice Guy' mask.

"Finally! No more Mr Nice Guy. He's like Federer 2.0. New and improved version," a tweet read.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

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Jannik Sinner stands between Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon 2023 final

Jannik Sinner at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

In his 2023 Wimbledon Championships semifinals, Novak Djokovic is set to lock horns with Jannik Sinner, who defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in his quarterfinal on Tuesday.

Djokovic and Sinner crossed paths in the tournament last year, where the Serbian fought back from two sets down to clinch the quarterfinal contest, 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 en route to his title win.

Ahead of the semifinal clash, Sinner stated that there will be no parallels from their clash last year. The Italian further said that it would be a tactical battle and vowed to give his all.

"It's going to be a completely different match than last year. He knows me better as I know him better also. It's going to be also a little bit tactical. In the other way, it is also a little bit mental, no? If you play against Novak, it's always tough to play here, especially on Grand Slams," he said.

"But I'm happy. I will fight for every ball," he added. "I will enjoy the moment, but knowing that I can go hard, no, trying to beat him. But, as I said, now I have two days off, trying to work on couple of things what I might use for the next match. Let's see. Let's see how it goes."