Disappointment on Wednesday at Wimbledon, where there was much expectation to see where Novak Djokovic could come out in the second turn of the centre, where the shots would go after the episode experienced two days ago, when the 37-year-old Serbian reproached the crowd for their behaviour during the match against the Dane Holger Rune; the already historic Gooooooood night! (Good evening) which he repeated three times. However, we will have to wait until Friday, the date of the men’s semi-final, to find out the reaction, given that his rival in the quarter-finals, the Australian Alex de Minaur, will not be able to take to the court due to a hip problem.
“I noticed a crack “I was in a bad mood for the last three points of the match against Fils, and the tests have confirmed to me that it could be worse if I play,” said the Oceanian. Djokovic, therefore, has already managed to go very far in a tournament that seemed extremely difficult for him to play. On June 5, the Balkan player underwent surgery for a tear in the meniscus of his right knee that he suffered during his participation in Roland Garros – he had to withdraw from competing in the quarterfinals – and, from there, he began a race against time that led him to the British Grand Slam against all odds. He is now in the semifinals, his thirteenth in London, thus equalling the record of the Swiss Roger Federer.
In any case, his relationship with the local public is not going through the best of times. The bond is very particular. With seven titles, he is only one away from the eight symphonies that the Basel native composed, but something doesn’t quite fit, doesn’t add up. Comings and goings, tensions. Love? Yes, but no. The tennis player has the episode of 2019 etched in his memory, when the fans at La Catedral cheered Federer on incessantly in the final, which the Belgrade native finally won after saving two match points. Nole has done everything: ingesting strands of grass, shouting from the rooftops his predilection for white and green, for history and tradition. “If I became a tennis player it is because of Wimbledon,” he says. However, the tug-of-war continues.
And one of the most iconic characters in this sport does not quite understand it. John McEnroe, protagonist of famous episodes such as the famous “You cannot be serious!” directed at umpire Edward James at the 1981 edition, he considers that the treatment meted out to Djokovic is not fair. “What has he done that makes him so bad? Is it because of what he wants? Because he has competed harder than anyone else has ever done? Because of the way he looks or because of where he comes from?”, asks the American (65 years old) in statements collected by the BBC. And in response to the player’s reaction on Monday, he is clear: “Well done, well done.”
Henman’s alternative: silence
Djokovic is the most decorated male tennis player of all time, with 24 Grand Slam titles, and holds virtually all of the records in his sport. No one has been the number one for longer, 428 weeks. And he has the head-to-head with Federer (27-23) and Rafael Nadal (30-29) in his favour. However, his emotional relationship with the stands has always been very exciting and London, the distinguished Cathedral of the racket, is no exception. For one reason or another, there are also sparks from time to time, even though the English, who have a good taste for tennis, recognise the importance of the Serbian. McEnroe, in any case, does not quite understand the disaffection and one of the characters from Star Wars. A touch of irony.
“He seems like Darth Vader compared to two of the classiest tennis players we’ve ever seen, Nadal and Federer. Who can compare to them in terms of what they’ve brought to the table? Nobody. And then this Djokovic comes along and spoils the party for us…” he says. “So how about we give him some respect after all this? He’s by far the guy who’s had the worst time and that’s why I’d say he’s the greatest to ever play the game. We have to respect his greatness, he’s been giving his all for tennis for 20 years, but he had the nerve to crash Rafa and Roger’s party. We’re talking about a guy who went under the knife a month ago and has performed a miracle to compete here. He doesn’t deserve this treatment. I admire his courage for speaking out,” the American continues.
British BBC analyst Tin Henman joins in the praise and suggests an alternative to his fellow countrymen. “I love that passion, that hunger and that desire he still has to win, at 37 years old and after everything he has achieved,” he says before adding: “He loves confrontation, that kind of energy. That’s how he plays best. He destroyed Rune. I think if you want to alter his performance, the best thing you can do is keep quiet,” says the Englishman, four-time semi-finalist at the major Londoner and once (2002) the fourth best player in the world. “Federer is the one who has had the most success here, but they should have more respect for a champion like him,” says German Boris Becker, who coached him between 2014 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Djokovic has already landed in the penultimate round of the tournament, which he will arrive at fresh from not having to face De Minaur. The number two, executioner of Kopriva, Fearnley, Popyrin and Rune in the previous seasons, will come up against Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti (set to meet at around 4:00 p.m. on Court 1) and everyone will be waiting to see how he can react, as well as how the centre will treat him after what happened at the close of Monday. In any case, Nole, the same one who appeared on the court at Paris-Bercy in 2012 covered by a Darth Vader mask, returns to the final stretch of the tournament and The Independent warns the English crowd: “Wimbledon, be careful: you just angered Novak Djokovic with your chants for Holger Rune.” London and him, a strange relationship.
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