Novak Djokovic accuses Wimbledon crowd of disrespect after he says some fans booed him
Novak Djokovic accused the Wimbledon crowd of "disrespect" on Monday after he said some fans booed him during his match against Holger Rune.
After defeating Rune, the world's No. 15- ranked men's player, the Serbian superstar took issue with certain spectators in the stands at Centre Court. "To all those people who have chosen to disrespect a player, in this case, me, have a good night," the world's no. 2-ranked men's player and 24-time Grand Slam champion said following the match.
Throughout the match, fans cheering on for Rune could be heard saying, "Ruuune," which sounds similar to boo chants. When the post-match interviewer suggested this to Djokovic, he said he doesn't accept the explanation.
"I know they were cheering for Rune, but that's an excuse to also boo," he said. "Listen, I've been on the tour for more than 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. ... I focus on the respectful people that have respect, that paid the ticket to come and watch tonight, and love tennis and appreciate the players and the effort that the players put in here."
"I've played in a much more hostile environment, trust me," he added. "You guys can't touch me."
On his end, Rune didn't think Djokovic was being booed. Instead, he said it was a repeat of a similar scenario at the 2021 U.S. Open, where fans were chanting his name as he played against Djokovic.
"If you don't know what's happening, it probably sounded like 'boo,'" Rune said. "But it was my name. But he's played so many matches since it happened last time, he probably didn't remember."
Djokovic, who underwent surgery a little over a month ago for a torn meniscus, now moves on to play Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The 37-year-old is seeking his fourth Wimbledon title.