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John McEnroe praised Novak Djokovic for criticizing the Wimbledon crowd, stating that the Serb has been disrespected at least 100 times in his career. McEnroe, a tennis legend himself, highlighted Djokovic’s resilience in dealing with adversity as a key factor in his success.
Djokovic’s criticism came after his Wimbledon fourth-round win, where he claimed fans used the chanting of his opponent Holger Rune’s surname as “an excuse to boo.” The 24-time Grand Slam champion argued that the crowd’s noise was meant to unsettle him.
McEnroe, who has won seven singles majors, supported Djokovic, emphasizing the unwarranted criticism Djokovic has faced. “Don’t you think there’s been at least 100 matches over the course of the last 10-15 years that Djokovic has been disrespected because of how good he is?” McEnroe said on BBC TV. He compared Djokovic to tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, noting that Djokovic has often been cast as the “Darth Vader” of tennis, disrupting the dominance of two of the sport’s classiest players.
McEnroe concluded by declaring Djokovic the greatest player of all time, attributing his success to his ability to thrive under pressure and negative attention. “He’s by far the guy who’s taken the worst heat, and that’s why I would say he’s the greatest that’s ever played,” McEnroe stated.
Djokovic Thrives on Confrontation
Djokovic’s reaction to the crowd’s antagonism has often fueled his performance. Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman noted that trying to provoke Djokovic usually backfires. “He loves the confrontation. He thrives off that energy. And he plays better,” Henman said.
Despite the crowd’s reaction, Djokovic remains focused on his goals. He will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, and Henman believes the crowd’s reaction will be positive this time. “At 37 years of age, and with what Djokovic has achieved, I love that passion and hunger and desire to win. It’s brilliant,” Henman added.
Mixed Reactions to Djokovic’s Popularity
While some believe Djokovic enjoys the negative energy, others think he prefers crowd support. Nenad Zimonjic, a former Wimbledon doubles champion and part of Djokovic’s coaching team, said, “I think he prefers when the crowd is for him, but he finds a way to use it the other way round as well.”
Djokovic’s relationship with the British crowd has been inconsistent, partly due to the popularity of Roger Federer. In the 2019 Wimbledon final, Djokovic faced a partisan crowd favoring Federer. Despite this, Djokovic emerged victorious, demonstrating his ability to perform under pressure.
Djokovic has often attempted to win over the crowd with gestures like throwing his heart to all corners of the court and engaging in post-match interviews. However, he occasionally reacts to perceived disrespect, as seen in his recent comments.
Former British number one Annabel Croft observed, “I think for somebody who has been as successful as he is, he’s still very confused as to why he doesn’t get the love of the people the way that Federer and Nadal did.”
