Novak Djokovic turns on Wimbledon crowd in astonishing Centre Court speech (original) (raw)

Novak Djokovic has criticised the Wimbledon audience for what he perceived as "disrespectful" behaviour, dismissing claims that they were simply cheering for his opponent, Holger Rune.

The Serbian star, currently ranked second in the world, was visibly irked by noises from the crowd that sounded like booing, although commentators suggested that the fans were chanting "Rune".

Following his victory in straight sets, Djokovic expressed his displeasure with the crowd's conduct during a tense on-court interview, asserting his awareness of their antics.

Djokovic wasted no time in addressing the crowd's reaction at Wimbledon's premier court when the interviewer mentioned the support for Rune. He began by expressing gratitude to the respectful fans: "Well, to all the fans that have respect and that stayed here tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it, I appreciate it."

He then shifted focus to those who seemed to be making "Ruuuune" sounds, mimicking them and saying: "And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a goooood night," reports the Express.

Even when it was reiterated that the crowd was likely vocalising Rune's name, Djokovic stood firm, denying acceptance of that explanation. "They were, they were, they were. I don't accept it. No, no, no," he said.

Djokovic concluded by acknowledging the support for Rune but suggested that it served as a cover for booing. "I know they were cheering for Rune but that's an excuse also to boo. Listen, I've been on the tour for more than 20 years so I know all the tricks, I know how it works. It's fine, it's OK.

"There's some respectful people who paid for a ticket to come and watch tonight and they love tennis and appreciate the players."

And Djokovic sent a forceful message to those he perceived as his critics: "I've played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can't touch me," he declared confidently.

When the crowd chanted "Ruuuune" during the second set as the Danish player showed resilience, Djokovic appeared visibly miffed, mistaking the cheers for jeers. Tennis legend John McEnroe clarified on BBC commentary, "They're not booing, they're saying Rune," and added, "Djokovic is confused by that. He thinks he's being booed which he absolutely isn't. The crowd are just trying to keep the young guy in it."

Nick Kyrgios chimed in with a word of advice, noting: "One thing you don't want to do though is poke the bear."

Djokovic indeed proved him correct, as he seemed energised by the challenge and secured the match with a scoreline of 6-3 6-4 6-2.

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