Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena reacts to Serb's hard-fought 2R win against Alexei Popyrin at 2024 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena posted a series of emojis indicating her relief after the Serb reached the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.

Djokovic has not shown his best form at this year's Melbourne Major so far. 18-year-old Dino Prizmic gave him a tough fight in the opening round before going down 6-2, 6(5)-7, 6-3, 6-4.

On Wednesday, January 17, Djokovic came close to trailing home favorite Alexei Popyrin before fighting back to win 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3. After the match, the World No. 1 admitted that he hasn't been playing at his full potential and expressed hope of finding his form in the coming rounds.

"I sincerely hope so [that I get better on the court], that's what it’s going to take for me to go deep in the tournament. I haven't been playing my best, I've been still trying to find a form," the Serb said in his on-court interview.

After the win against Popyrin, a fan on social media celebrated the result using a gif that indicated the nerve-racking nature of the contest. Jelena reacted to the same by using a handful of emojis.

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"Maybe that was needed" - Novak Djokovic says his comeback may have been fueled by his interaction with a heckler

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2024 Australian Open.

While his match against Alexei Popyrin wasn't smooth sailing on the court, Novak Djokovic also had to deal with a heckler during the contest.

With the two players tied at one set apiece, the Serb saved multiple set points before winning the ensuing tiebreak and taking the lead against Popyrin. Later, in the fourth set, a fan yelled at Djokovic, prompting the World No. 1 to respond immediately.

At a press conference after the match, the 24-time Grand Slam champion stated that his interaction with the heckler probably gave him the impetus to up his game and seal the victory.

"I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face. When you confront somebody, unfortunately for him, he didn't have the courage to come down. That's all it is," he explained.

"Yeah, maybe that was needed. I was flat I guess emotionally. Game-wise I was quite flat for some part of the match, end of second set, most of the third set. Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit and start to find the kind of intensity on the court that I needed to have all match," the Serb added.

Djokovic will return to the court on Saturday, taking on Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round at Melbourne Park.