Why is Djokovic being booed?

Novak Djokovic is always under scrutiny, for better or for worse. From a sports perspective, no one has won as much as him and for many, he is the greatest tennis player in history. However, his incredible game and achievements are not fully reflected in fan support, as fans tend to show more sympathy towards Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, or even towards the new generations like Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. In this Wimbledon 2024, he had clashes with the crowd at the Centre Court in his matches against Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti. But does the player with the most Grand Slams in history deserve to be booed at every tournament he attends?

It is important to note that the situation Djokovic finds himself in every time he steps on a tennis court has intensified over the past year. The Serbian used to not respond to the crowds' provocations. However, now it is common to see him making gestures, like that of a conductor, and ironically accepting the public's challenge.

It is also worth noting that there is a growing trend of ‘footballization’ on tennis courts in recent times, making it increasingly difficult to maintain silence between points or support a player without disrespecting the opponent. This was evident at this Wimbledon, particularly in the match between Djokovic and Rune, where some Danish fans started to dissent against the Serbian, according to the world number two's account.

“I think most people come to enjoy tennis or to support one player or another. But there are individuals who love to boo anything you do. And that’s something I find very disrespectful and, frankly, I don’t understand. 99% of the time, I will stay quiet, but sometimes I will confront them,” the Serbian stated last year at Roland Garros.

But that 99% has decreased significantly, and the Belgrade native, after his victory over Rune, said: “It is completely understandable that they have the freedom to choose who they support in the match. But if someone crosses the line, I will react.” This was evident in his post-match comments: “For all the people who were respectful, good night. And to all those people who chose to disrespect the players, in this case me: have a very boooood night, a boooood night”.

- Djokovic, always different from the rest

Djokovic's public image has always been influenced by his off-court actions. An outspoken player, he has never had any issue expressing his views on certain matters, but the turning point and rupture between the Serbian and part of the tennis audience occurred at the 2022 Australian Open, where he was arrested and expelled from the country for being considered a ‘public health threat’ by the Australian government due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19.

However, Djokovic's actions are not an excuse for him to be booed in this manner at all major tournaments; it also happened to him this year at the Australian Open and at Roland Garros. And a legend like John McEnroe did not hesitate to come to his defense: “What has he done that is so bad? Is it because of what he wants? Because he has competed harder than anyone ever has? Because of how he looks or where he comes from?”, questioned the American.

- Always overshadowed by Nadal and Federer

In fact, McEnroe dared to delve into the reasons behind the booing: “It's as if he's Darth Vader compared to two of the classiest tennis players we've ever seen, Nadal and Federer. Who can compare with them in terms of what they've contributed? Nobody. And then this Djokovic comes along and ruins our party. So, can we respect him after all this? By far, he's the one who has had it the worst, which is why I would say he is the greatest who has ever played. We must respect his greatness; he has dedicated 20 years to tennis, but he had the audacity to crash Rafa and Roger’s party. We are talking about a guy who underwent surgery a month ago and who has performed a miracle to compete here. He doesn’t deserve this treatment,” lamented the American legend.

His former coach and tennis legend, Boris Becker, also spoke in his defense: “Federer is the one who has achieved the most here, but they should have more respect for a champion like him”. The Serbian has seven Wimbledon titles and is just one match away from matching the Swiss player's record, but even so, he fails to fully connect with the London crowd.

It's not just in England; he has also experienced it in Paris, in Melbourne, in the ATP Finals in Turin, and particularly when he sets foot on Spanish soil due to his historic rivalry with Nadal and the budding one with Alcaraz. The fact that he emerged between the Federer and Nadal era, coupled with his personality and actions off the court, seems to have doomed him to become the 'villain' of the tennis world. This is the same player who has won 24 Grand Slams, 40 Masters 1000 titles, and has held the top ranking for 428 weeks. Perhaps when people realize, it will be too late.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Por qué se le abuchea a Djokovic?