Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic criticized spectators who booed him after his victory over Holger Rune, calling their behavior “disrespectful.”
On Monday, July 8, Djokovic faced Danish rising star Holger Rune in the Wimbledon round of 16. The 37-year-old Serbian triumphed in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to secure his place in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Wimbledon in London.
During the match, Djokovic made a gesture towards the Centre Court crowd after clinching a tight second set, which led to boos from the fans. The seven-time Wimbledon champion, aiming for his 25th major singles title and to tie Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles titles, expressed his frustration with the crowd’s reaction.
In a post-match interview, Djokovic addressed the issue, saying, “To all the fans that have respect and stayed here late tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart – I appreciate it. And to all the people that chose to disrespect a great player, in this case, me, have a good night. I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s no excuse to also boo.”
Djokovic added, “I will focus on the respectful people who pay the ticket to come and watch tonight, who love tennis and appreciate the effort that the players put in here. I’ve played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me.”
The Serbian icon remains focused on his goal of making history at Wimbledon, despite the crowd’s reaction.
