“Do you have any other questions, other than the crowd?” Novak Djokovic has had enough of his rocky relationship with the Wimbledon crowd! Now, his protest to it includes either walking out of an interview or avoiding the questions regarding it altogether. Either way, he is making headlines at Wimbledon, and not for the right reasons. His old tennis rival, Andy Roddick, might also agree with his frustration, but not his actions. Known for his controversial remarks about Djokovic, let’s hear what the American veteran has to say this time!

“I don’t think you can create an entire thing on Centre Court and then get mad when someone asks you about the entire thing that you created. I was wrong on that one and maybe he was wrong in that one,” said the former U.S. Open champion in his podcast “Served”, while talking to Jon Wertheim. Interestingly, Roddick, who himself once walked away from an interview after being repeatedly asked about his retirement plans, knows how it feels. Therefore, his dilemma about Djokovic’s action is palpable in his next comments.

“If I was losing to someone I should have been losing to and I had to get into a fight with an umpire, create some sort of thing as long as it’s within the rules I would do it. I didn’t thrive under friction the way that Novak does I often wasn’t proud of it after I did it,” Roddick, who is well aware of the pressure during a big tournament, further stated. But even then, the 41-year-old did not support Djokovic entirely. Instead, he accused the Serbian of creating a scene and then being reluctant to address it after the match.

For more context, let’s dive into what triggered Novak Djokovic to walk out of a BBC interview after defeating Holger Rune in the quarter-finals. As the second seed put forward his best show on the turf where he has previously claimed seven titles, the crowd did not lend their support to the Serbian. Or at least, Djokovic thought so. The confusion arose when fans started screaming “Runeeeeee,” making their preference known among the duo. Naturally, that frustrated the 37-year-old. “They were (disrespecting me), I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune but that is an excuse to also boo,” a visibly disappointed Djokovic said after the match. 

However, referring to an old battle at the U.S. Open between the duo in 2021, Rune completely rejected Djokovic’s assumption, saying it was not a “boo” but the sound of his name, Rune. Nevertheless, it didn’t change Djokovic’s mind and when the BBC reporters tried to press him on the matter, the Serbinator walked away before adding, “Are you focused only on that? This is the 3rd question.” However, one can’t put Novak Djokovic’s morale down so easily! He has his ways to shine even in a “hostile environment.”

Novak Djokovic’s message to the Wimbledon crowd

With his two decades of experience and confidence, Djokovic knows how to navigate through challenges while keeping his head high throughout, particularly on the turf where he first earned his title only at the age of 20. Showcasing his champion mindset, he said after the match, “I focus on the respectful people, that have respect, that pay the ticket to come and watch the night and love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in here. I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, you guys can’t touch me.”

Although Djokovic admitted to knowing the “tricks” of certain fans to let their disrespect known, the 24-time Grand Slam champion half-heartedly said, “It’s fine. It’s okay.” But to the ones who kept him going in the match, he shared his gratitude, stating, “To all the fans who have respect and have stayed here tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it.”

You might agree with Djokovic’s actions or not, but one thing is true: One can’t dim his shine at Wimbledon!