In addition to being one of the greatest players in history, Novak Djokovic is also one of the most polarizing figures tennis has ever seen. His on-court outbursts, his stance against the COVID-19 vaccine, and his outspoken nature have earned him a lot of detractors. He’s now embroiled in another controversy caused by his social media activity.
Ben Rothenburg, the author of “Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice”, shared a post highlighting that the 24-time Grand Slam champion was following Andrew Tate on X, formerly Twitter. He captioned the post,
Novak Djokovic, GOAT of tennis and GOAT of unforced errors.
Novak Djokovic, GOAT of tennis and GOAT of unforced errors. https://t.co/Un0qedhGKr
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 29, 2024
Tate was a professional kickboxer but gained notoriety on social media as a lifestyle influencer. However, he’s infamous for his extremist and misogynistic ideologies. Djokovic following a controversial figure like him reflected poorly on the Serbian superstar.
He seemingly concurred with that take, as less than a day after Rothenburg’s tweet, a fan noted that the tennis superstar was no longer following Tate on X.
While many fans criticized Djokovic, a handful called out the author for his comment about the reigning US Open champion. They accused Rothenburg of stirring up the pot for an innocuous reason.
Good. Do people REALLY think that Novak sees everything on social media? He probably once saw something or 2 he liked from him (maybe about the vaccine) & followed him
— NMH (@NMHonX) July 30, 2024
One fan claimed that his caption was an inappropriate thing for a journalist to write about an athlete.
Cheap journalism!!!
— N Savu (@Nsavu23) July 30, 2024
Another opined that the criticism for following a popular account did not warrant criticism.
Who cares who he follows? You don’t have to agree with everything to appreciate a viewpoint. I’m more concerned on Federer’s friendship with Bill Gates personally….
— Beks (@houseofbeks) July 31, 2024
Fans seemingly aren’t too pleased about the lack of disapproval about Roger Federer’s friendship win Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
It’s his right to follow who he wants. Better than socializing with Gates like someone else.
— Milica Rubezic (@jazzfunk1954) July 30, 2024
While many defended Djokovic after he was caught following Tate, they weren’t as empathetic about his on-court behavior during the ongoing Olympics.
Novak Djokovic was criticized for provoking fans
A day before Djokovic’s social media activity caused an uproar, he was being shamed for his behavior on-court during his second-round win over Rafael Nadal in the Paris Olympics.
During the first set, the 24-time Grand Slam cupped his ears and goaded the attendees at Court Philippe-Chatrier into booing him. Fans on X called him out for unnecessarily provoking the crowd.
This behavior is exactly why many people don’t like him
— Pamela W (@PamelaW616161) July 29, 2024
The 37-year-old embraced the villain role a long time ago and has learned to shut out the noise. He’s focused on winning the gold medal in Paris, the only accolade missing from his legendary resume, and won’t let critics on social media deter him.
