Novak Djokovic has been the best player by far this season so far. From the first ATP 500 championship in Adelaide, the Serbian kept improving with such ferocious speed that even at 36, he comfortably became the first player to make year-end world No. 1 for the 8th time.
Furthermore, Djokovic showed class in Turin as he defeated Italian favourite Jannik Sinner to win a record 7th Nitto ATP Finals. Despite that, the tennis star has been booed by fans on several occasions in recent tournaments, begging the question: why do fans hate him?
Patrick Mouratoglou explains why tennis fans hate Novak Djokovic
During a recent interview, Patrick Mouratoglou addressed the reasons why Djokovic is still craving the love and respect of some tennis fans despite his incredible success at the top of the sport. Djokovic has faced boos and jeers crowds in Paris, Wimbledon and Turin this season, with Mouratoglous suggesting the affection many fans still have for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is at the root of this animosity.
Also, surprisingly, Sinner claimed the ATP Fans’ Favorite Award, with Novak Djokovic not on the award list. However, Djokovic posted a sarcastic message on Instagram after his coach Goran Ivanesevic was denied the Coach of the Year Award despite guiding the Serbian to remarkable success this year.
“Rafa and Roger were the biggest superstars of tennis, but Novak came in and beat both of them and the crowds hated him for that,” he believes. “I think he is booed for other reasons as well. He says he doesn’t like this negativity, but sometimes he pushes the crowd to book him because it helps him during the matches.
“What we should not forget is has 14 million followers on Instagram, he is a huge hero in Serbia. He is the biggest name in tennis and we will all miss him when he stops playing the sport.”
Patrick Mourataglou clams Novak Djokovic to win Grand Slams in 2024
The super tennis coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, spoke to Tennis365 ahead of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Grand Final in London. He said that the youngsters like Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune and Carlos Alcaraz still have more to prove and Novak Djokovic stands way above them and is going to win more Grand Slams next year.
“We got to the end of last year and everyone was saying Holger Rune could be the guy to stop Djokovic and now they are saying the same about Sinner, but it hasn’t happened yet,” Mouratoglou told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview. “The records speak for themselves. He has beaten every record and is now by far the greatest tennis player of all-time.
“If you consider that he is coming up to his 37th birthday in 2024, it seems crazy that he is still winning this much. To have a record like this, you have to be able to win the biggest titles consistently for 20 years and we haven’t seen this before in too many sports. Winning a Grand Slam when Djokovic is here makes it tough for anyone. I think Alcaraz, Sinner and Rune are closer to him, but there is one reason why they will not be favourite going into the Grand Slams in 2024 and that reason is Novak Djokovic,” He added.
This season, Novak Djokovic’s win at the ATP Finals cemented his position as the best player in the world, in addition to his victories at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open boosting his Grand Slam title haul to a record-extending 24.
Are you among the Novak Djokovic lovers or haters? Do tell us in the comments section.
