"There's been 100 matches that Novak Djokovic has been disrespected" - When John McEnroe supported Serb after his outburst against Wimbledon fans

Novak Djokovic is no stranger to facing tough crowds, but things took a serious turn during the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. The reaction was intense, but it also led to support from several people in the tennis world, including John McEnroe.

Djokovic was playing in the fourth round at SW19 against Holger Rune and won in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. But during the match, he felt like the crowd was using the Dane's name as an excuse to boo him.

Hundreds of fans responded to Rune’s winners and Djokovic’s errors, with drawn-out chants of “Ruuuuuuune,” blurring the line between support and mockery. The Serb's relationship with the Wimbledon crowd has always been tense, and this only added more fuel to the fire. His opponent, however, didn’t think the crowd was booing at all.

McEnroe, who had his own complicated history with crowds during his playing days due to his fiery temper and outbursts, told the BBC that Djokovic was right to speak out. He went on to explain that the 24-time Grand Slam champion has faced this kind of treatment from crowds throughout most of his career.

“Well done. Don't you think there's been at least 100 matches over the course of the last 10-15 years that Djokovic has been disrespected because of how good he is?” the American said. "What has he done that's so bad? Name something. What is it, he wants it? He competes as hard as anyone who's ever competed? Is it the look, where he's from?” he added.

McEnroe continued:

"He's like the Darth Vader compared to two of the classiest acts we've seen play tennis - Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Who can compare to them in terms of what they brought to the table? Nobody - and then this guy Djokovic spoils the party.”

Novak Djokovic didn’t hold back when it came to expressing how he felt. He addressed the crowd directly after the match, mocking them with a sarcastic “Goooood night” that quickly went viral.

Novak Djokovic to Wimbledon crowd: “You guys can’t touch me”

Novak Djokovic addresses the crowd after defeating Holger Rune at Wimbledon 2024 | Image Source: Getty

Much like the reception he got throughout the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Novak Djokovic had a fitting response for the crowd. After defeating Holger Rune, he took a jab at the fans during his on-court interview, mocking them with a drawn-out “Goooood night,” and said:

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

The Serb later explained his reaction, saying he typically ignores the negative crowd noise and chooses to focus on the supporters. He added that moments like these don’t shake him easily, as he’s faced far more hostile environments in the past.

"I focus on the respectful people, that have respect, that pay the ticket to come and watch the night and love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in here. I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, you guys can’t touch me," he said.

Wimbledon has been one of Djokovic’s most successful Grand Slam venues. He has lifted the trophy seven times, with his most recent title coming in 2022.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh