Another day brings another contentious situation involving Novak Djokovic.
Following his decisive win over No. 15 seed Holger Rune in the fourth round of Wimbledon, the 24-time Grand Slam champion and No. 2 seed addressed fans he felt were being “disrespectful.”
Novak Djokovic believed that fans chanting “Ruuuune” were actually booing him.
“To all the fans who have respect and stayed here tonight, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it,” Djokovic said on court. “To those who chose to disrespect the player, in this case, me, have a good night. Good night, good night.”
He continued: “They were cheering for Rune, but it’s an excuse to boo. I’ve been on the tour for 20 years; I know all the tricks. It’s fine, it’s OK. I focus on the respectful people who pay for their tickets, come tonight, love tennis, and appreciate the players and their efforts.
I’ve played in much more hostile environments; trust me, you can’t touch me. I’m feeling great on the court, taking it day by day. I’ll hit the practice courts tomorrow and analyze this match.”
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Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios disputed Djokovic’s theory, stating fans were simply supporting the Dane. “It wasn’t booing, but crowds around the world need to understand, Novak doesn’t need more motivation,” the Australian said, per The Independent. “He’s driven, one of the best players in the world.
“I’ve seen it time and again; the crowd pokes the bear. That’s not what you want to do against Novak Djokovic. Some said that was his first test? He answered all the questions. It’s a blockbuster against Alex De Minaur.”
Djokovic is set to face No. 9 De Minaur in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
