"Novak Djokovic is described as divisive and insincere, that's from people who don't know him" - Paul McNamee

Paul McNamee, the former CEO of the Australian Open, recently expressed his views on Novak Djokovic. The 69-year-old believes that while the Serb gets vilified by a sizeable section of the tennis universe, those who share the locker room with him consider him "the man".

The World No. 1 is arguably the greatest male tennis player of all time thanks to his haul of countless records. That said, he has still had an increasingly difficult time winning the tennis community over, mostly because he ended the duopoly of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer - two of the most popular tennis pros of the 21st century.

In that context, Paul McNamee argued on Monday (May 13) that Novak Djokovic deserves a better reception. The Aussie claimed that the 24-time Major winner's peers thought highly of him and that mattered the most as they know more about his persona than most tennis fans. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Djokovic is variously described as divisive and insincere. Of course, that’s from people who don’t know him," Paul McNamee wrote on X. "If you want the reality, ask the locker room. That’s where he is the MAN… highly respected and popular. So perhaps check with his peers?"

For those unaware, McNamee is a staunch supporter of the 36-year-old. Last Friday (May 10), he expressed his concern for him after a water bottle was dropped on his head following his second-round win at the Italian Open.

"The first thought which came to my mind was Monica… thank goodness it wasn’t, but mate, you don’t need to have to deal with that," McNamee wrote on X.

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"Remarkable" - When Paul McNamee praised Novak Djokovic for completing non-Calendar Year Grand Slam in 2016

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Men's French Open Winner Photocall

Paul McNamee also never shies from praising Novak Djokovic's on-court achievements. In 2023, the Serb fell one match short of completing the elusive Calendar Year Grand Slam as he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set championship match at Wimbledon.

However, McNamee still gave his flowers to the World No. 1, stating how the latter had held all four Major tournaments in 2016 anyway.

"Novak Djokovic may or may not miss the calendar year Slam again by a single match," McNamee wrote on his X handle last September. "Remarkable. But let’s not forget that, like Serena and Martina, he has done the next best thing… holding all four Slams at the same time, which is arguably just as good."