Novak Djokovic accused some of the Centre Court crowd of using a Holger Rune chant as “an excuse to boo” as his hot-and-cold relationship with Wimbledon took another turn.
Hundreds of fans greeted Rune winners, and Djokovic errors, with elongated cries of ‘Ruuuuuuu-ne’ during the pair’s fourth-round match on Monday.
Djokovic who won the match, felt the crowd were disrespecting him.
When on-court interviewer Rishi Persad put it to the Serb that they were supporting his opponent, Djokovic said there was more to it.
“I know they were cheering for Rune but that’s an excuse to also boo,” he said.
“I have been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks.”
Djokovic is attempting to win a joint record eighth Wimbledon men’s title, and is a nine-time finalist at SW19.
But his relationship with the crowd has not always been serene.
After Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the 2019 final, his former coach Boris Becker said he deserved more respect from a partisan crowd who had mostly sided with his opponent.
And two years ago, Djokovic was booed after he blew a kiss to fans following his semi-final win over Briton Cameron Norrie.
