Former ATP player ‘learned to love’ Novak Djokovic after ‘hating’ the tennis legend
A former top 50 player on the ATP Tour has explained why he “learned to love” Novak Djokovic after having “hated” the tennis legend.
Djokovic holds all of the most significant records in the history of men’s tennis, and he has undoubtedly become one of the most popular sporting champions.
Despite his remarkable achievements, the Serbian has endured an up-and-down relationship with crowds and faced harsh scrutiny from certain sections of tennis fans throughout his career.
Speaking on beIN Sports’ Wimbledon coverage, retired French pro Lionel Roux was brutally honest in sharing his opinion on Djokovic.
“Even I, who hated Novak Djokovic enormously, learned to love him later, I understand that,” said the 52-year-old.
“In terms of his physical preparation, everything he does off the court. Every time we can see him, he stretches, he does lots of things to be at the top. He brings a lot to tennis. There’s what happens on the court but also off it.
“In Serbia, he gives a lot in the academies, he tries to help a lot of young people. That’s to his credit.
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“Even if there are still little things… We must also highlight what he did against [Alexandre] Muller, it brings me back to things I didn’t like about Novak Djokovic. He has to pay attention to all these little things.”
Roux played professionally between 1991 and 2003, reaching a career-high ranking of world No 48 in 1995. His best Grand Slam result came at the 1998 Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round.
Djokovic is chasing history at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships as he looks to tie his great rival Roger Federer’s record of eight men’s singles titles.
The 38-year-old — who is the record-holder for weeks spent as the world No 1 — is also seeking a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown in London.
The Serbian secured his most recent major at the 2023 US Open, while his last Wimbledon victory came in 2022. Djokovic was a runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in each of the previous two editions of Wimbledon.
The sixth seed will face world No 24 Flavio Cobolli in the last eight, and a semi-final showdown with top seed Jannik Sinner could await if he advances.
