"Wonder why Novak Djokovic attracts such toxic, rabid fans" - Fans react as Thanasi Kokkinakis slams Serb's fanbase for throwing abuses at players

Thanasi Kokkinakis criticized Novak Djokovic's fanbase for hurling abuse at other players. Several fans later rallied behind the Aussie and echoed his sentiments.

Djokovic has established himself as one of the greatest tennis players of the Open Era, with 24 major titles to his name. However, his aggressive fanbase has often come under scrutiny. One of his well-known superfans on X (formerly Twitter), Pavvy G, is particularly vocal, frequently sharing his opinions, and sometimes goes below the belt.

Notably, he landed in hot water after mocking Jannik Sinner for what he considered negligence following the unfortunate death of the Italian's aunt.

Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, and Kokkinakis, who competed in the UTS (Ultimate Tennis Showdown) in Frankfurt, sat down for a meal and conversation. The World No. 77 criticized Djokovic's social media fanbase, describing it as aggressive and abusive.

"It's like someone gets triggered and I think the tennis. In all sports, but the tennis Twitter if you like Djokovic, like everyone and their little Lacoste emojis, their little crocodile is just is there for it. Do you know what I mean? You know if they're a Djokovic fan, because they got a little crocodile on that thing, and they are just abusing you dude. Not even Serb, but they are just abusing you," he said.

A fan later shared the conversation on X:

Several fans reacted to the Aussie’s remarks. One fan referred to Djokovic's supporters as 'Noletards,' calling them the "worst."

"There is no comparison. Noletards are the worst. It makes you wonder why Novak attracts such toxic, rabid fans but then you look at his track record and what he stands for, and it becomes glaringly obvious," they said.

"They’re like the lecfosi of tennis twitter," a fan wrote.

"Kokki just telling facts hahaha so accurate," another commented.

Here are a few more reactions from the fans:

"He’s …….not wrong. And you know it’s bad when actual players mention that," a fan opined.

"GOATINAKIS," another chimed in.

"I wanna hear what he has to say about fedfans tho," a fan wrote.

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Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, and Thanasi Kokkinakis also discussed Novak Djokovic's relationship with the crowd

Novak Djokovic at 2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic has at times also yelled back at crowds for their disrespectful behavior. Notably, during his fourth-round match at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, he criticized the crowd for booing him.

In the aforementioned discussion, Kokkinakis joked that if Djokovic became irritated with the crowd, his opponent should "pack their bags."

"The worst is if the crowd makes him pissed. If he gets pissed and starts yelling at the crowd. Dude, pack your bags."

Agreeing with the Aussie, Thiem urged fans to remain silent during Djokovic's matches.

"No but that's so bad. Like, please crowd, please. Please be quiet," Thiem said.

"Don’t piss him off," Shapovalov added.

Kokkinakis eventually urged fans to keep the former World No.1 happy.

"Keep him happy. Keep him happy," he added.

While Kokkinakis and Shapovalov have never defeated Novak Djokovic on tour, Thiem boasts a solid 5-7 record against the 24-time major champion.