"Paranoid or not, this Novak Djokovic is much more authentic than the heart-throwing nonsense" - Journalist hails Serb for calling out Wimbledon crowd

Day Eight: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024
Day Eight: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024

Novak Djokovic recently objected to the Wimbledon crowd's behavior following his fourth-round victory against Holger Rune. His actions later garnered praise from sports journalist Ben Rothenberg, who hailed the World No. 2, calling his actions "authentic".

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Djokovic defeated Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals for the 15th time. While the Serb dominated the match, the crowd backed Rune, hoping he could mount a challenge. Every time the Dane won a point in the third set, the crowd chanted his name, which the 37-year-old found offensive as it sounded like they were booing him.

During the on-court interview following the match, Djokovic pointedly wished "Goooood night" to the fans who had disrespected him:

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“To all the fans that have had respect and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it. And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player – in this case me – have a goooood night. Goooood night, goooood night. A very good night.”

Djokovic stated that he believed the fans' cheering for Rune was a pretext for jeering at him. He added that while some of the crowd disrespected him; he focused on the respectful fans who love tennis and appreciate the players. The Serb also said the booing didn't affect him, as he has played in an even more oppressive setting before.

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Journalist Ben Rothenberg recently heaped praise on Djokovic for his openness, contrasting it with his persona a decade ago. Rothenberg also appreciated the Serb's truthfulness, even if he was labeled as "paranoid" or "fragile" for his actions.

"Paranoid or not, fragile or not, immature or not, this version of Djokovic is so, so much more authentic and enjoyable than the heart-throwing nonsense of a decade ago. Glad he’s speaking his truth these last few years," Rothenberg wrote on X.
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Novak Djokovic also addressed the matter during the press conference, stating that the fans have every right to support the players they like, but they shouldn't cross the line.


Novak Djokovic faces Alex de Minaur in the Wimbledon 2024 QF

Novak Djokovic at The Championships - Wimbledon 2024
Novak Djokovic at The Championships - Wimbledon 2024

Novak Djokovic is set to take Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon 2024, on Wednesday, July 10. The Serb, who faced a knee injury during his fourth-round clash at the French Open, underwent surgery in Paris and consequently missed the lead-up tournaments to the London Major.

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Despite this, Djokovic returned stronger, defeating Vit Kopriva, Jacob Fearnley, Alexei Popyrin, and Holger Rune to reach the quarterfinals at SW19.

Meanwhile, De Minaur had a strong start to his grasscourt campaign by winning the Libema Open; however, he faced an early first-round exit in the Queen's Club Championships. The Aussie defeated James Duckworth, Jaume Munar, Lucas Pouille, and Arthur Fils to set up an encounter against Djokovic.

Djokovic holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage against De Minaur. Their most recent encounter took place at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters, where the former emerged victorious.

The winner of this contest will face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinal on Friday, July 12.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh
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