Novak Djokovic sent a powerful message to the Wimbledon crowd following his decisive fourth-round win over Holger Rune, asserting, “you guys can’t touch me.” The Serbian tennis star advanced to the quarter-finals for the 15th time in his career, defeating his Danish opponent in straight sets without being broken.
After the match, Djokovic addressed some of the fans in Centre Court who he felt were jeering him during the two-hour contest. “To all the fans who have respect and have stayed here tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it,” he said.
He then added, “And to all those people who have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case, me, have a goooood night. Goooood night. Goooood night. Very good night.”
Many spectators and analysts speculated that the crowd was cheering for Rune by elongating the ‘u’ in his name, but Djokovic was not convinced. “They were [disrespecting me], I don’t accept it,” he said, shaking his head towards interviewer Rishi Persad. “I know they were cheering for Rune, but that is an excuse to also boo.”
“Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years, trust me, I know the tricks, I know how it works. It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s ok. I focus on the respectful people, that have respect, that pay the ticket to come and watch the night and love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in here. I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, you guys can’t touch me.”
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic reflected on the incident: “It’s fully understandable that they have the freedom to choose who they back in the match. But if somebody steps over the line, I react. That’s basically what it was.”
Djokovic’s win, which he had predicted would be “fireworks on the court,” sets him up for a quarter-final match against Australian Alex de Minaur. The World No. 2 overcame stomach troubles and a strapped-up right knee following surgery to secure his place in the last eight, saying he “felt great on court” and is taking things “day by day.”
Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title, which would match the haul of Wimbledon legend Roger Federer.
