Novak Djokovic lashed out at Wimbledon fans in an on-court interview after they booed his opponent.
Djokovic, who beat Holger Run 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the Wimbledon round of 16 on Monday to reach the quarterfinals, was convinced the Centre Court crowd was booing him.
The Serbian tennis star addressed the issue on court immediately after her win in a post-match interview.
“To all the fans who stayed here tonight out of respect, thank you so much. I appreciate it. And to those who choose to disrespect a player, in this case me, have a good night, everyone. Good night. Good night. Really good night,” Djokovic said sarcastically, stretching out “good” like a “boo.”
The interviewer assured Djokovic that no one was mocking him, but the seven-time Wimbledon champion insisted that wasn’t the case.
“Listen, I’ve been on tour for over 20 years, so believe me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s OK. It’s OK. I’m respectful, I bought a ticket tonight and I’m focused on respectful people who love tennis and I appreciate the players and the effort they’ve put in here,” he said.
Djokovic recently underwent surgery on his right knee after withdrawing from the French Open. He told reporters On Sunday, he said his mobility during the tournament was being affected.
“Speed-wise, I feel like it’s affected my movement a little bit,” he said. “I’m not where I want to be yet. I’m a little bit late on balls that I normally wouldn’t be late on.”
But the 37-year-old didn’t seem to notice any issues with his knee as he outplayed the 15th-seeded Danish player.
While Rene received plenty of cheers on Centre Court on Monday, Djokovic’s dominant performance was widely praised on social media.
Above Holger Rune. Getty Images
Djokovic, who faces Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, was clearly concerned about the crowd’s reaction but insisted he would not be upset.
“I’ve played in tougher conditions and you can’t get past me,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.
