Have we talked about obnoxious match celebrations before? I feel like we have, but I don’t want to scroll through my whole site to figure it out. Besides, we have new, fun material to talk about.
A number of weeks ago, everyone’s favorite love-to-hate player Nick Kyrgios threw some shade at a few of the game’s top stars. He called out Rafa Nadal for being “salty” and Fernando Verdasco for arrogance.
But he saved his best shade for Novak Djokovic:
“I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger….This whole celebration thing that he does after matches, it’s like so cringeworthy. It’s very cringeworthy.”
Have you seen Djokovic’s celebratory ritual? I couldn’t help but laugh at Kyrgios’s characterization. Cringing describes my reaction perfectly.
And it’s not just me and Kyrgios. Djokovic’s ridiculous “I give you my heart” pantomime rubs other people the wrong way, too–so much so that someone coined a term for it: Boob throwing.
Here’s the start of the Serb’s celebration:
See how he’s cradling his imaginary boobs? By the looks of it, they’re pretty impressive–he’s hefting at least a D cup here.
Then he throws his knockers to the audience:
He performs this stupid move four times, once to each side of the stadium. Hey, he’s an inclusive guy. I imagine him channeling Oprah: “YOU get a boob! And YOU get a boob!”
In comparison, my own victory routine is tame and lame, just a high five or hug with my partner. Maybe I should step up my game and try boob throwing. Because, you know, I actually have boobs to throw at people, although frankly it’s never occurred to me to do so.
What about other victory celebrations? What about Simona Halep and Juan Martin del Potro, who cross themselves and blow a kiss to the sky, thanking their Creator after each victory? Or Nadal’s habit of raising his arms and throwing his head back in dramatic relief, even after predictably routine wins? Or Serena’s ballerina twirl? Anyone bothered by these?