Novak Djokovic alleged that a group of British supporters displayed “disrespect” towards him during his match, as he secured Serbia’s 2-0 victory over Great Britain by defeating Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4.
During the entire match, they displayed a lack of respect, but I have learned to expect this. It is not uncommon for fans to cross the line during Davis Cup matches, but in the heat of the moment, I also react and make it clear that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
During the first set, it was clear that Djokovic was annoyed by a group of fans sitting behind the Great Britain bench. As he finished the set with a serve, he expressed his frustration by blowing a kiss to one particularly loud spectator.
Following the match, Djokovic spoke to the audience during his on-court interview. However, some British fans who brought drums with them began to play loudly, making it difficult for his voice to be heard. These fans are members of British tennis supporter groups who attend Davis Cup matches. Djokovic immediately responded, urging the fans to “keep going” and “learn how to respect players.” He also had to tell them to be quiet and stop interrupting the interview.
Later, Djokovic stated that although fans have the freedom to do as they please, he will still respond in similar situations. He expressed, “They have the liberty to act however they wish, but I will not stay silent.” He then explained, “That’s exactly what occurred. And as you could witness, I attempted to communicate, but they intentionally played the drums to prevent me from speaking and deliberately tried to provoke me throughout the entire match. So yes, we did have a conversation at the end.”
The captain of the British Davis Cup team, Leon Smith, mentioned that there were no problems between the two teams. He stated, “I greeted [Viktor] Troicki and congratulated him, and also congratulated Novak. Honestly, he played an excellent match. There was no hostility between us. Actually, our whole coaching team went over and shook hands with them. We have nothing but admiration for them.”
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Despite any controversies, Djokovic consistently sets new records every time he plays on the tennis court. He has not lost a single singles match in the Davis Cup since 2011, totaling 21 consecutive wins. This latest victory, his 44th in the Davis Cup, establishes Djokovic as the player with the most wins in Serbia’s history at this prestigious competition, surpassing former doubles world No. 1 Nenad Zimonjic.
Source: theguardian.com
