Novak Djokovic’s Aggressive Actions Force Andy Roddick to Bring up John McEnroe in Crystal Clear Parallels at Wimbledon

Despite Novak Djokovic ushering his domination at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, things haven’t gone the way he would’ve liked. The Serb has given his all after making a comeback from a knee injury but fans have been brutal toward him. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has been subject to constant boos from a section of the crowd present inside the stadium during his matches. However, things went over his head during his pre-quarterfinal match against Holger Rune that brought up parallels to John McEnroe, according to Andy Roddick.

Following his match against Holger Rune, Djokovic hit back at the fans who were booing him, telling them to have a good night as if in a booing tone. This response from Djokovic caught many eyebrows as fans hadn’t seen this side of Djokovic before. However, it reminded Andy Roddick of one player who used to give it back to the fans during such controversies, and it was none other than McEnroe.

During a recent episode of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick said, “He didn’t have that friction mechanism of which he thrives under some people like it’s free and easy, they thrive that way. Some people like it more complicated, they thrive that way, some people don’t want to think about tennis on off days, some people only want to think about tennis all the time.”

Roddick used this parallel between Djokovic and McEnroe to point out how the two used to handle controversies after seeing the Serb’s new character. He went on to add, “We all tick differently. Do not argue with him, creating friction, because at this point we know that that is what he does. He has a chip on his shoulder and he’s the best we’ve ever seen at that. McEnroe is a comp, he would blow it up if he needed to create some sort of friction.”

Djokovic has left everyone surprised with his actions and performances. Before the tournament, Roddick wasn’t too optimistic about the Serb’s chances at Wimbledon. However, watching him dig deep here, he admitted his mistake.

Andy Roddick reflects on his incorrect prediction about Novak Djokovic

The 24-time Grand Slam champion had to withdraw from the French Open midway after suffering a knee injury. However, Djokovic recovered well and opted to play at Wimbledon. Not only did he participate but also performed brilliantly to reach the semifinal. As a result, Roddick’s prediction about him went wrong.

The American legend admitted his error in downplaying Djokovic’s chances at Wimbledon, saying, “I didn’t have him in this tennis tournament. I didn’t think he was going to be able to recover from knee surgery at 37 years old in time to play Wimbledon much less not have to be a drag on the rest of the year… I was wrong!”

Novak Djokovic will take on Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinal later today. It’ll be interesting to see if he can continue his brilliant run here and reach the summit clash.