Swedish tennis player Jonas Bjorkman got clocked from behind with a tennis ball, and he held the court with his awesome response. It looks like we got another participant for the #NeymarChallenge.
For those who've missed out, the latest viral meme is a gift that keeps on giving. The World Cup brought us many thrilling moments, but they all pale in comparison to Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Jr.'s dramatic reaction after sustaining a mild injury.
Bjorkman paused briefly after getting hit, but then dropped to the ground, clutched his stomach, and rolled, as if demonstrating the emergency drill for extinguishing flames. It was the pro-tennis player's best impersonation of Neymar audiences were not expecting.
The latest mockery of Neymar took place during the senior invitation doubles game, with Mansour Bahrami and Goran Ivanisevic playing against Jonas Bjorkman and Mark Woodbridge.
Wimbledon audiences ate it up, and even Bjorkman's opponent, Mansour Bahrami, pretended to resuscitate him.
Tennis and soccer are now two sports forever entwined by an athlete who took the theatrical fall.
Soccer fans remember Tuesday's World Cup highlight when Neymar took his notorious dive and tumbling that seemed to roll forever across the field. But it wasn't until his body came to a standstill that the now mocked theatrics came to play.
Mexico's Miguel Layun stepped on his ankle and the soccer star writhed and buckled out of agony. His over-the-top reaction to what looked like an amputation gave birth to the viral #neymarchallenge.
For reference, here's Neymar in agonizing pain. (He turned out to be just fine and eventually helped set up a goal in a 2 - 0 victory.)
Here's the best of the #NeymarChallenge memes.
The laughter continued online after Bjorkman paid his impromptu tribute to Neymar.
Neymar doesn't seem hurt by critics. By Wednesday, he was seen mocking himself rolling around.
H/T - Indy100, WashingtonPost, Twitter, Mashable, YouTube
@tulipanet/Bluesky
@which–witch–ru/Bluesky
@phillip–rees/Bluesky
