Novak Djokovic has stirred controversy with a sharp response to Wimbledon fans following his straight-sets victory over 15th seed Holger Rune. The Serbian tennis star defeated Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.
Rune’s supporters, who often stretch out his last name to chant “Ruuuuuune!”—sounding similar to “Boooooo!”—were particularly vocal during the match. After clinching his victory, Djokovic made a violin-playing gesture, seemingly mocking those who might be upset by his win. This marks his 15th advancement to the quarterfinals at the All England Club.
In his post-match interview, Djokovic expressed gratitude to the respectful fans who stayed to watch the match, saying, “To all the fans that have respect and that stayed here tonight: Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it.” However, his tone shifted when addressing those who he felt disrespected him: “And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player — in this case, me — have a goooood night. Gooooood night. Gooooood night. Very gooooood night,” he said, stretching out the “Os” in “good” to mimic the sound of booing.
When the interviewer suggested that the fans were not trying to taunt him, Djokovic firmly disagreed. “They were. They were. They were. I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune. But that’s an excuse to also boo,” he retorted.
Djokovic, a seasoned player with over 20 years on the tour, emphasized his experience with such situations. “Listen, I’ve 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, that have respect, that paid (for) a ticket to watch tonight — and love tennis. And love tennis. And appreciate the players and the effort that the players put in here.”
He concluded his remarks with a bold statement: “I played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me.”
Djokovic, who has won Wimbledon seven times and was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz last year, continues to demonstrate his resilience and confidence as he advances in the tournament.