John McEnroe has never been shy about sharing his opinions, and now he’s criticizing fans for their treatment of Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic has an impressive record at Wimbledon, with seven wins, just one short of Roger Federer’s eight. Yet, he’s never received the same love from the London crowd as Federer has.
During many finals in London, Djokovic faced not just his opponent but also a crowd that didn’t want him to win. This was very different from the support Federer enjoyed.
In 2019, Djokovic’s victory over Federer in a memorable final where he saved match points is a prime example. McEnroe has often supported Djokovic and feels deeply disappointed by how fans have treated him over the years.
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McEnroe’s Take on Fan Behavior:
“Both of those guys, Rafa and Roger, they are total class acts. They are loved and respected around the world. Novak gets the unfair treatment. He’s the villain, the bad guy.”
“I guess you need a good guy and a bad guy in a way. It can help the sport when you have rivalries like that. I think it’s been unfair, honestly because he is great for the game. On and off the court.”
McEnroe admires how Djokovic handles hostile crowds better than he ever did during his own career. He believes this quality deserves more respect from fans.
“He’s been able to do something that I wasn’t able to do nearly as well which is turning lemons into lemonade,” McEnroe said. “You know when people want to see the underdog or someone else winning, he somehow uses that as fuel to help him. That’s an incredible quality which you can’t underestimate.”
Fans might think it’s time for everyone to give Djokovic more credit for his resilience.
What do you think? Should fans show more respect to Djokovic?
