Serbian Novak Djokovic lashed out at the crowd on Monday after he said the shouts in support of his rival, Dane Holger Rune, whom he defeated in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, were disrespectful.
According to the criteria of
Djokovic, who won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, spoke about the incident and said that when someone crosses the line, he responds. When some of the spectators started shouting “Rune, Rune”, the Serb considered them as boos towards him: his response was to cover his ears.
After the match, Djokovic did not remain silent: “To all who have respected me, good night. To those who have not, gooooood night. “I know they were supporting Rune, but I also know that it was just an excuse to boo me,” he said, still on the pitch.
“I’ve been on the circuit for over twenty years and I know all the tricks. It’s okay, I focus on the people who respect me and who have paid to see me. I’ve played in much more hostile environments. They can’t do anything,” he insisted.
Djokovic continued his complaint at the press conference
The subject continued in the post-match press conference, where Djokovic gave his version again.
“I don’t know what Wimbledon can do about this. People have paid for their tickets. They have a right to be there and support what they want. The chair umpire can step in at certain times and reassure them, but there’s not much more that can be done,” said.
“You’re not going to kick out part of the crowd. It’s what it is, it’s part of the sport. It’s one of the reasons why we’re here and why we’re recognised all over the world, it’s because of the fans, because of the interest they show in watching the games, paying for tickets and queuing for us. I respect that (…). It’s completely acceptable for them to support whoever they want, but if they cross the line, I’ll answer for it,” he insisted.
Rune’s version of the shout that Djokovic considered a boo
Rune said this is not the first time this has happened and that there was a precedent when he had to play against Djokovic at the US Open, when the Dane was 18 years old.
“The crowd was shouting my name and it sounded like ‘boo’. We played a few times afterwards, but in Italy and France, where they pronounce my name differently, and now we’re in England. Maybe, if you didn’t know, it might sound like ‘boo’, but if you know the story, you know it’s my name,” he said.
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With AFP
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