“People don’t know him” – Novak Djokovic glares at Wimbledon fans after negative reaction

Will the Wimbledon crowds ever embrace Novak Djokovic as a sporting hero?

It is a question the seven-time must ask himself every time he steps on the Centre Court at the All England Club and one theme follows him in every match.

While his former rival Roger Federer was afforded a lengthy round of applause as he made an appearance in the Wimbledon Royal Box on Tuesday, Djokovic continues to attract negative attention from the crowds fortunate enough to hold prized seats on the most famous court of them all.

Tennis365 was present in the press seats for Djokovic’s opening match against Pedro Cachin on Monday and there was a familiar atmosphere eating down from the stands.

Winning shot for Cachin were greeted with notably loudly applause than those hit by reigning champion Djokovic.

There was a similar mood inside Centre Court during Djokovic’s closely contested second round match against Jordan Thompson on Wednesday.

On both occasions, Djokovic appeared to be agitated by individuals in the crowd were were eagerly cheering on his rival, even though the fans in question may not be supporters of Cachin or Thompson.

During the match against Thompson, Djokovic appeared to single out members of the crowd and offered a less than friendly glare, while he regularly cups his ears to suggest the jeers from the stands are not affecting him.

Djokovic may have accepted his position as the villain of the fans when he was playing British hero Andy Murray and  he may even have tolerated his position as second place in the popularity stakes behind the enduringly adored Federer.

Yet cheers for rivals who have achieved nothing close to his levels of success must be frustrating.

Djokovic appears to accept his fate yet, it is somewhat surprising that a player who has won more Grand Slam titles than any other in the history of the men’s game continues to lose the popularity battle.

It was a subject we discussed with former world No 2 Alex Corretja, who spoke to Tennis365 at an ASICS event.

“People get confused by his way of thinking and it’s a shame because I think he is an unbelievable human being, honestly,” stated Corretja.

“He is deep, he is someone who is very interesting and you learn so much when he speaks. When you listen to him, he goes into everything to become better both as a tennis player and a human being, as a father and a son. I have so much respect for him and I am a big fan.

“People don’t know Novak and that is why they have an opinion of him that isn’t always positive. What they see from a player is the reactions he shows on court.

“They have a chance to hear maybe two questions from him on court and that is nothing as they are pretty much based on the match.

“I like him very much, he is an interesting person and he has so much to add to the whole world. He is a humble guy and I think it would be good for him to give some interviews from time to time for people to get to know him better.”

Corretja’s comments were backed up by some detailed opinions offered by Djokovic in his post-match press conference after his win against Thompson, as he insisted he is always searching for answers to every question in his life.

“I feel very hungry for knowledge, for experiences,” he stated. “Life is a great journey that can offer a lot if one is open to experience.

“I can only speak on my own behalf. I’ve been through a lot of things in life for these 36 years. Very, very grateful for all that I have experienced. Also the bad experiences I’ve had, professionally and privately.

“Normally when you are feeling down, that’s when you have an opportunity through those trials and tribulations to grow stronger, better, and to, yeah, I guess, use those lessons to become a better version of yourself.

“It’s a constant evolution. It never, never really stops. That’s kind of the mindset I have on and off the court. That’s the mindset that actually got me to where I am
with my professional tennis career.

“I never want to stop growing, learning, trying to improve, trying to understand the nuances, the details, whether it’s with my game, whether it’s with my body, whether it’s with my nutrition, whatever it is, recovery, that can take me a small step further.

“I know that the young guys, especially the ones that have intention to be at the top of the game, I know they’re doing it, right? Everyone has their own way. I think it’s important to keep going and keep growing because there is no such thing as stagnation, like being in the same place like you have been last year, because everything is changing.

“Yeah, I think that’s kind of an open mindset that I have towards life. I try to welcome all the experiences that I have and try to learn from them.”

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