“I know anytime I say anything nice or bad about Novak, I’m gonna get slaughtered,” Andy Roddick joked once. The former U.S. Open champion, known for his outspoken nature on his “Served” podcast, has a couple of things that he fears discussing on the show. The topic of Novak Djokovic is perhaps at the top of that list. Sharing his growing horror towards commenting on the 24 Grand Slam champion, Andy Roddick has once again put forward his hilarious viewpoint on the subject.

While discussing the ongoing clash at Wimbledon in the “Served” podcast, Andy Roddick’s attention shifted to one of the most sensitive topics, Novak Djokovic. Roddick requested Jon Wertheim, the co-host of the show, to open up about his interview with the Serbian player, reflecting on his opponent’s withdrawal from the semifinals at Wimbledon. The sports journalist casually stated, “We could and perhaps should do a whole podcast on the complexity of this guy.”

As soon as he finished his statement, Roddick, frightened at the idea, humorously added, “I’d have to go into witness protection.” This lighthearted and indirect jibe at Novak Djokovic’s fans, although lightened up the moment, also hinted at the underlying story behind it. After all, we all understand his concern. Taking a few examples from this year alone, it’s pretty clear that Nole fans are always ready to hit back at Roddick. 

Even before Wimbledon started, his comments on an injured Djokovic taking the rest of the season off did not please the Serbian’s fans. While some commented, “He thinks he’s always right,” others said, “Andy can say whatever he likes. Novak will do whatever he wants. You might want to consider chilling a bit.” But that’s not the end.

The stormy relationship between Djokovic fans and Roddick goes way back! Last year, when Roddick presented the 24th Grand Slam to Djokovic, fans were quick to notice the “unhappy” face of the former American player, bashing him hard on X. As a result, Roddick often says in his podcast, “I’m so scared of Nole’s Twitter people. I say something like he was breathing heavily and even though he was breathing heavily, they are like f*** you! I just eat s*** from them all the time.”

But it’s not all bad! Even after enduring a ton of backlash from Djokovic’s fans, Roddick has often tried to clear the air of any prevailing misunderstanding fans might have about his take on the Serbian.

Andy Roddick talks “absurd” accusations from Novak Djokovic’s fans

The ardent followers of Djokovic hurled back at Andy Roddick for his comments on the Serbian tennis player’s public display of his knee injury recovery before Wimbledon. Seeing this, Roddick addressed the issue later on X, and explained the reason behind his statement, and concluded by saying, “There’s no winning a you all. You can spin compliments into anger. It’s absurd.” 

Further adding, the 41-year-old former player wrote, “I’m not offended by truths. He’s the greatest. Was amongst the first to say it. You’re angry and insulting for the sake of being angry and insulting.” Andy Roddick has often praised Novak Djokovic for his absolute excellence in tennis and his consistency on-court. However, sadly, time and again, it is his criticism of the seven time Wimbledon champion that has gained more attention. No wonder he’s a bit afraid of commenting on Djokovic now!