Novak Djokovic showcased another stellar performance at Wimbledon on Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals with a convincing win, yet the 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed displeasure despite his victory.
Djokovic required just over two hours to defeat Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court. However, he was annoyed by some sections of the crowd who were supporting his Danish opponent.
Throughout the match, spectators were heard chanting “Ruuuuune” in support of the world No. 15, a sound that resembles booing.
“To all the fans that have respect and have stayed here tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it,” Djokovic said in his post-match interview. “And to all those people who have chosen to disrespect a player – in this case, me – have a goooood night.”
When the on-court interviewer suggested that fans were merely chanting for Rune and not booing, Djokovic remained firm on his stance.
“I don’t accept it. No. I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse to also boo. Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s fine, it’s OK. I focus on the respectful people, who have respect, that paid the ticket to come and watch tonight, and love tennis and appreciate the players and the effort that the players put in here. I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, trust me. You guys can’t touch me.”
This incident isn’t new for Djokovic, as a similar situation arose during the 2021 US Open when he mistook crowd support chants for booing against Rune.
Post-match, Rune mentioned it was nice to hear his name chanted by the crowd and suggested that Djokovic was mistaken again. “If you don’t know what’s happening, it probably sounded like ‘boo,’ but it was my name,” Rune said. “But [Djokovic] has played so many matches since it happened last time, he probably didn’t remember.”
Despite the unhappy moments with the crowd, Djokovic maintained his composure and overcame a below-par Rune. He appeared to struggle with a stomach issue but managed to progress to his 15th Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Sporting a torn meniscus just last month, the 37-year-old athlete seems to be in excellent form as he aims for his seventh Wimbledon title.
Djokovic will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals. “Alex [de Minaur] is one of the quickest, if not the quickest, player on Tour. But I’m enjoying my running still at 37. Looking forward to the match,” Djokovic added.