Even in a win, Novak Djokovic was displeased with the Wimbledon crowd on Monday night.
During his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Holger Rune that wrapped up fourth-round action at the All-England Club, Djokovic surmised that some fans took the opportunity to boo him by disguising it as an extended bellow of his opponent’s name. Whatever it was–either booing or “Ruuuuuune”-ing–it made the 37-year-old mad.
“For all the people that were respectful, a good night,” he stated in his on-court interview. “For all the people who tried to disrespect me, a goooooood night. I know they are cheering for Rune, but that’s just an excuse for also boo me.”
When the interviewer suggested that they were simply cheering for Rune, Djokovic begged to differ.
“I don’t accept it,” the Serb quipped. “I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks. It’s fine. I focus on the people that have respect and paid the tickets to come and watch…. I’ve played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You can’t touch me.”
Alexander Zverev had been untouchable through three rounds of Wimbledon. In the Centre Court match preceding Djokovic vs. Rune, he looked the same through two sets against Taylor Fritz. However, the recent French Open runner-up could not quite get across the finish line and ended up losing 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3.
Zverev had suffered a knee injury in the third round against Cameron Norrie and played with a sleeve on his left leg on Monday. The German did not appear to be hampered, though, until Fritz had already taken control of the match midway through the fifth set.
While shaking hands at the net, there was a long discussion between the two players. It was later revealed that Zverev was upset with someone in Fritz’s box who “may not be from the tennis world” (not a coach or trainer) for “over the top” cheering. The world No. 4 felt that because he was “on one leg,” the Fritz camp should have been more respectful.
“I think he felt that he was–I guess towards the end of the fifth at least–kind of limping around a bit,” Fritz explained at his press conference. “I think he was annoyed at some people in my box just being loud, cheering for me…. He said it’s nothing towards me or anything like that.
“I mean, as far as his injury, I don’t know. I thought the match seemed extremely normal until I was up the break in the fifth, then I feel like that’s when I felt like he was limping…. It’s no big deal. It’s not a big thing.”
Following Fritz’s second-round win over Arthur Rinderknech, he sarcastically told the Frenchman to “have a nice flight home.”
The 12th-ranked American assured on the Tennis Channel desk that there was no such bad blood with Zverev. “He said, ‘It’s nothing to do with you; you’re all good.’ So, whatever, it’s all good. I wasn’t wishing him a (nice) flight home.”
cry me a river!