During his match against Holger Rune, Novak Djokovic faced a hostile crowd. Despite the boos and jeers, Djokovic maintained his composure and ultimately won, silencing the crowd with a pointed gesture. In his post-match speech, he addressed the crowd’s behavior, emphasizing his mental fortitude and experience in handling such situations.
The 7-time Wimbledon champion’s now-famous ‘Gooood night’ jibe at the crowd continues to polarise the tennis world. The likes of John McEnroe and Nick Kyrgios have backed the Serb for giving it back to the fans after being a victim of so much hatred.
But there is a section of the tennis community which believes that he needs to change if he has to be loved as much as his former archrival, Roger Federer.
An old tweet resurfaced on X in which Federer was seen handling a similar situation at the Australian Open a few years ago. The Swiss legend was not at all confrontational in his post-match interview after seeing that many in the crowd did not cheer for him in a particular match.
This comes as a surprise since he is arguably the most popular tennis player on the planet, who was mostly supported by fans. But there were plenty of comments saying how Djokovic could use Federer’s example to deal with difficult crowds.
This is how a classy person reacts to the crowd not supporting them. Novak Djokovic could learn a lot from this.pic.twitter.com/VdMIdJ0fje
— Fred Meyer (@FredWMeyer_) July 11, 2024
It could be these Federer-Djokovic comparisons which are going against the Serb. The 20-time Grand Slam champion felt it was important to endear himself to audiences with his charisma and grace. This could be the reason why he won a lot of support at Wimbledon or in London in general, even when he took on a British star like Andy Murray.
However, in Djokovic’s case, his assertive and emotional demeanor might rub crowds in the wrong way. The former World No.1’s passionate outbursts are often perceived as arrogance rather than confidence.
The Djokovic-Wimbledon 2024 saga is not an isolated event by any means. Earlier this year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion encountered similar hostility at the Australian Open, where he was booed by the crowd despite being a 10-time winner there. Even in that instance, he chose to give it back to them by challenging them to come on the court and face his wrath.
The Monte Carlo Masters also saw Djokovic facing a less-than-supportive audience. It ticked off the Serb so much that he had to shout something loudly on the lines of ‘Shut the F*** up’ to keep them quiet.
Perhaps, a celebrity being too authentic and brash in being expressive might not be something what every tennis fan wants. Or it could just be the fact that Djokovic has had to deal with being the anti-hero of sorts since the time his peak began, which was in the 2010s when Federer and Rafael Nadal were ruling the tennis world.
Regardless, Djokovic’s issue is unique for tennis but has been seen in other sports over the years as well.
Is Djokovic the Neymar or LeBron of tennis?
Despite being one of the greatest athletes of all time, it is interesting that Djokovic has such a complicated relationship with the ultimate stakeholder in any sport, the fans/crowds.
But so has been the case with LeBron James, for example, in the NBA. Till date, LeBron is criticised for switching his loyalties between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat for a part of his career.
Another instance of LeBron courting controversy was when he slammed Shaquille O’Neal a few months ago for claiming that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant induced more fear in their opponents than him.
While Jordan had his own peak before the likes of Kobe and LeBron came up, the trio have their own fanbases who have their reasons to believe that each one of them is the greatest of all-time. Much like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in tennis, as the Swiss superstar burst into the scene first and made his mark before the other two took over.
But as in the case of LeBron being compared to Jordan and Kobe, Djokovic too has struggled to win as many crowds over. This is even though he is not apologetic of who he is and what he stands for.
Similarly, in soccer, the 3 players since the last decade who have taken the sport by storm are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar. Like Federer and Nadal, Messi and Ronaldo shared an intense rivalry in which both had their fair share of successes as well as backing from others.
The duo were on a roll but had to step up more when Neymar from Brazil burst onto the scene. Like Djokovic and LeBron, Neymar too was not only considered the ‘third wheel’, but has been irreverential to tradition and had his fair share of controversies.
This is why even if Neymar breaks Messi and Ronaldo’s records at the club or international level with the talent he has, he might not win as much adulation and respect wherever he goes.
So it would be fair to say that Djokovic has some company in this regard. Many believe that being able to thrive in hostile environments is a separate challenge in itself and it makes good players great.
Whether Djokovic will ever achieve the same level of affection from crowds like Federer and Nadal, remains uncertain. However, his legacy as a formidable competitor who rewrote the meaning of fitness, discipline and mental strength in tennis, is undeniable.
