A BBC presenter has come out in support of Novak Djokovic’s claims that he was booed by the Wimbledon Centre Court crowd on Monday night, claiming that “complete idiots” used chants for Holger Rune as a “disguise” to attack the Serb.
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic was upset by what he perceived as a lack of respect in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Rune.
Presenter Sara Thornton was on Centre Court and despite others claiming the chants were of “Runeeeee” and not boos, Thornton disagreed.
“As I sat on Centre Court I thought there were some absolute idiots in the crowd booing Novak #Djokovic using the name Rune… and sadly it became contagious,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“But as a tennis fan, I’d say that was far outweighed by those who revelled in the skillful play on both sides.”
Novak Djokovic criticised the Centre Court crowd on Monday, accusing them of disrespect.
His wife Jelena Djokovic (right) looked a little uncomfortable as Djokovic faced the crowd.
The seven-time champion turned his on-court interview into a tirade about what he considered to be booing.
BBC presenter Sara Thornton was on Centre Court and claimed there were “idiots” booing
A fan who was on Centre Court on Monday night described a scene in the fifth set. Sports mail where a Djokovic fan turned around and shouted “show some respect for the champion” to the entire crowd.
Another tennis fan posted: “I actually thought the @Wimbledon crowd was a bit more classy than that. @DjokerNole is the greatest player who ever lived (and this is coming from a #Federer devotee), he deserves all the respect in the world. I hope the crowd knows how privileged they are to have seen him play. #Djokovic.”
One of Djokovic’s most devoted fans online wrote: ‘Djokovic’s post-match interview statement wasn’t just about tonight, it was about decades of mistreatment, it was about the horrendous way he was treated in 2022, about the lack of duty of care towards him in Rome, the lack of respect by making him play at 3am in Paris, not sweeping the court, questioning his surgery, questioning his injury, constantly pushing false narratives about him, constantly being disrespected and treated unfairly.
“At some point you have to let it out and let them know that you know all your tricks, but all that does is motivate him and make him even stronger… You can’t hurt me,” he said. Djokovic is a true warrior.
Many on social media feel Djokovic has faced years of disrespect from the tennis crowds.
Djokovic advanced safely into the quarter-finals, but after promising “fireworks” he delivered in the form of a post-match on-court interview.
‘To all the fans who have been respectful and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it,’ he began.
‘And to all those people who have decided to disrespect the player – in this case me – have a gooooood night.’
His BBC interviewer, Rishi Persad, said, rather bemused: “I hope they were just commenting on Rune and weren’t disrespecting you.”
Djokovic, who has a history of facing crowds, was having none of it. “They did it. They were disrespecting me,” he insisted. “I don’t accept it. No, no, no. I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse to boo as well.”
‘Listen, I’ve been on the circuit for over 20 years. I know all the tricks. I focus on respectful people who pay the entrance fee, who love tennis and appreciate the players. I’ve played in much more hostile environments, believe me, you guys can’t touch me.’
His outburst came after he defeated Holger Rune in straight sets to advance to the quarter-finals.
The outburst divided tennis fans and a split emerged over whether they were actually just cheering for Rune, something her Danish opponent believes.
His Wimbledon practice partner this week, Nick Kyrgios, who is also known for his on-court meltdowns, also felt Djokovic was not being booed.
The Australian said BBC Sports After: ‘It wasn’t like that (boos), but I think crowds around the world should understand that Novak doesn’t need a bigger reason to play better.
‘He’s a motivated player, one of the best in the world and I’ve seen it time and time again, the crowd tries to heckle him and that’s not what you want to do against Novak.
“He loves it. I try not to bother the bear when I play with him… and that’s very difficult for me. Obviously, it cost me my Wimbledon final.
“He doesn’t need a bigger reason to go out and prove to someone that he’s the best of all time.”
