Novak Djokovic might be leading the GOAT debate in tennis, but the Serbian is never away from controversy. The 36-year-old is never afraid to speak his mind and that has got him into trouble a few times. The Serbian superstar has had major issues with crowds around the world too and has frequently reacted on court, showing his anger towards them.
Novak Djokovic takes a stand on many issues rather stubbornly and that is the main reason behind him getting into trouble. The Serbian has a strong personality and is not as concerned about public opinion and perception as his rivals or other sportspersons. Many have now called for Djokovic to be banned or punished for his recent act at the Davis Cup 2023 Final 8 after he powered Serbia to a win over Great Britain in Malaga.
Novak Djokovic sings controversial song at Davis Cup 2023
Novak Djokovic sang a song along with his teammates to celebrate their quarterfinal win. However, the song is infamous since it apparently calls for Serbian people to support genocide, making many fans believe Djokovic is an ultra-nationalist who is narrow-minded and his views are scary for society. The Serbian has also supported calls for neighbouring country, Kosovo to being annexed. Even at the French Open 2023, Djokovic was warned about staying away from making political statements after he apparently signed some memorabilia writing about Serbia.
In the Davis Cup 2023 match against Great Britain, Novak Djokovic fired back angrily at the British contingent in the crowd, accusing them of being disrespectful towards him. While the crowd has a right to support any player and chant what they wish to, Djokovic was not having any of their abuse or criticism.
When Djokovic held a tournament in peak of Covid-19
Novak Djokovic was not extremely popular among tennis fans apart from his die-hard ones when he hosted a tournament in Belgrade, Serbia at a time when Europe was reeling from the aftermath of the first Covid-19 wave in 2020. Many players and guests during the tournament tested positive for the disease apart from Djokovic. Although he claimed that his intentions were not bad, he was still heavily criticized for this initiative, making many believe that he needs to be a better role model.
Novak Djokovic and the Australian Open 2022 debacle
The Australian Open 2022 proved to be an embarrassing fiasco for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian was criticized for lying about his vaccination status to the Australian authorities. The country’s rules stated that only vaccinated players will compete in the tournament, while Djokovic was unvaccinated. The matter became political and legal within no time and eventually, the current World No.1 was ordered to leave Australia before the start of the tournament.
US Open 2020 default
Novak Djokovic wears his heart on his sleeve and his emotional outbursts have proven costly for him. Djokovic was defaulted at the US Open 2020 for hitting one of the line umpires with the ball. The Serbian was disappointed to lose one important point and struck the ball fiercely at a lady line umpire, unintentionally hitting her as the ball was just struck in anger without any aim. Djokovic did not learn from that clearly as he was again slammed for poor temperament by the likes of Rafael Nadal at the Olympics 2021, which happened nearly 9 months after the US Open 2020.
Novak Djokovic accused of being a hypocrite
Andy Murray called out Novak Djokovic for being a hypocrite after the Serbian got angry at Rafael Nadal for hitting a ball towards him during their Rogers Cup 2013 semifinal match. The Spaniard apologized quickly for unintentionally hitting Djokovic but the Serbian was still angry. Later in 2015, Djokovic stuck Roger Federer with a ball during their match in Shanghai, but did not apologize.
