"Same narrative Serena Williams got, y’all were silent"- Fans react as Caroline Garcia questions Novak Djokovic being written off post Australian Open

Several fans have reacted to Caroline Garcia questioning why Novak Djokovic was being written off following his defeat at the 2024 Australian Open.

Djokovic's hopes of securing a record-extending 11th Melbourne Slam title were shattered when he suffered a defeat in the semifinals, losing 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 to the eventual champion Jannik Sinner. The defeat not only prevented the World No. 1 from claiming his 25th Major, but also brought an end to his remarkable 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open.

Following the match, several fans and critics began to express doubt about the Serb's claim to being the best player on tour. In light of this criticism, French tennis player Caroline Garcia took to social media to question those who were dismissing Novak Djokovic based on the result of a single tournament.

"I was scrolling a bit and basically Djokovic was the GOAT 2 weeks ago, still so young, moving so well beyond of this age, going for an other Slam once again, a true inspiration. And now he is too old, we are in a complete new era, he is finished for tennis … this is funny," Garcia posted on X (formerly Twitter).

In response, one fan drew a parallel between the current situation surrounding Djokovic and the twilight phase of Serena Williams' career, when the American's abilities were being questioned. The fan also questioned Garcia about her alleged silence in the face of the scrutiny Williams endured.

"The same narrative Serena got that all of y’all were noticeably silent for," a fan posted on X.

Another fan claimed that years before his eventual retirement, Roger Federer had also encountered similar scrutiny to what Novak Djokovic is currently facing.

"Well, that‘s what Roger Federer was also confronted with, 10 years before his actual retirement!" the fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

---

"Novak Djokovic is the constant professional, hasn't slowed down yet" - Martina Navratilova

Australian Open 2024

During an episode of the Tennis Channel podcast, 18-time Grand Sam champion Martina Navratilova expressed awe at Novak Djokovic's relentless pursuit of improvement even at the age of 36, describing his determination as "scary".

Navratilova also discussed the Serb being a "constant professional." She commended his ability to thrive under pressure, attributing this exceptional mindset to his former coach, Jelena Gencic.

“He is the constant professional and I think he had the mindset and he had the great coach Jelena, and other coaches that came after her. So he had all the basics covered from a very early age and he's still trying to get better and that's a scary thought, but to win that much after thirty is just impressive," she said (at 34:00).

Navratilova added that athletes generally experience a decline in performance after reaching the age of 30. However, that hasn't been true for Djokovic, who has racked up 12 Slams in the last six years.

"I don't care what happened before thirty, you're just built from another DNA because things get harder, you slow down and Novak hasn't slowed down yet,” Navratilova added.