NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic tore his shirt during his semifinal match against Gael Monfils at the U.S. Open, describing it as a gesture of emotion.

Djokovic pulled and tore the neck of the shirt as Monfils was serving for the third set, and then tore it further and took off upon dropping the third set.

"The quality is very good, by the way,” he said following the four-set victory. “I did rip it once, and then the second time, just in the heat I guess. In [the] heat of the moment."

In one of the oddest matches of 2016, Djokovic won, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

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"But, you know, it felt nice because my body could breathe a little bit more," Djokovic joked. "I guess, you know, these things happen. Sometimes you'll seen a thrown racquet here and there, [or] a ripped shirt."

Djokovic will play Stan Wawrinka for the title on Sunday.