'Have a Goooood-night': Fuming Djokovic slams 'disrespectful' Wimbledon crowd after victory over Rune (WATCH)

Enraged Novak Djokovic criticized Wimbledon spectators who he believed were attempting to intimidate him on Centre Court on Monday.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Jul 9, 2024, 10:48 AM IST | Last Updated Jul 9, 2024, 10:48 AM IST

Enraged Novak Djokovic criticized Wimbledon spectators who he believed were attempting to intimidate him on Centre Court on Monday. The Serbian tennis star, who defeated Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the fourth round, expressed his displeasure with the boisterous fans who were cheering for the Danish player.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, wearing a protective sleeve on his right knee, felt that the repeated "Ruuuune" chants were a deliberate effort to provoke him in his favored arena.

Djokovic, who will play in a 15th Wimbledon quarter-final, said, “To all the fans that have respect and stayed tonight, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it."

"To all those people that have chosen to disrespect play and one player, in this case me, have a GOOOD-night. A GOOOD-night. A very goodnight," Djokovic added.

"They were disrespecting me. I don’t accept it, no, no, no. I know they were cheering for Rune but that is also an excuse to boo," he further said.

"Listen, I have been on the Tour for more than 20 years. So trust me, I know all the tricks, I know how it works. It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s OK. I focus on the respectful people, those who have respect, who have the tickets to come to watch me tonight. Who love tennis, who appreciate the players and the effort put in. I’ve played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me," the Serbian ace added.

Djokovic, who celebrated by mimicking playing a violin with his racquet after his daughter began music lessons, left the court trailing 3-2 in the second set, clutching his midriff.

The No. 2 seed, who will face Australian Alex de Minaur in Wednesday’s quarter-finals, said, “I’m pleased with this win. He didn’t play close to his best.”

“He lost the first 12 points. In a way that got to him mentally, waiting all day to come out to the court, the tension builds up every hour that you feel that. You become more and more tense, you feel stressed to come out on court. In the end, I did things in the right way in the important moments. I think I stayed solid. I am very glad to get through in three sets. I am feeling great on the court. Let’s take it day-by-day, there is always something to work on in the off-days. I will hit the practice court and get ready for the next one," he said.

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