Novak Djokovic is ‘annoyed’ with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, which led to Monday’s huge tantrum, according to Wimbledon BBC star John Lloyd.
Djokovic has never enjoyed the same appreciation or love as his fellow Big Three tennis legends and the Serbian was booed during his last match in SW19 as he eliminated Holger Rune in the last 16.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion angrily turned to the Centre Court crowd and called them out for disrespect while furiously insisting they ‘can’t touch’ him.
Djokovic then stormed out of a very awkward BBC interview in just 98 seconds when he was persistently asked about the incident.
Ahead of Djokovic’s quarter-final match against Alex de Minaur, Lloyd has shared his thoughts on the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s public meltdown.
Former professional British tennis player Lloyd has been a commentator and analyst for the BBC’s tennis coverage, particularly at Wimbledon, since the 1990s.
‘I think deep down he gets a bit annoyed at some of his rivals, in particular Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and they were so popular on court,’ Lloyd said about Djokovic.
‘Novak, sometimes, is just not as popular as those two. Well who would be? And I think sometimes he gets a little bit annoyed at it, the crowd gets on him, thinks it’s a bit personal, it isn’t.’
Meanwhile, John McEnroe has urged the Wimbledon crowds to show Djokovic some more respect, even if he is the ‘Darth Vader’ of tennis.
‘You have to respect the greatness that you see,’ McEnroe said. ‘This is what he’s been dealing with for 10, 15, 20 years that people have been doing this.
‘I admire the guts that he had to say it there. That takes something. That’s in a way gonna put more people against him.
‘He doesn’t deserve that at this stage. We need him and he’s been too great for our game in my opinion.’
Djokovic goaded fans during last year’s Wimbledon final while in his second-round win at this year’s Championships, he shushed the crowd and called for the umpire to kick one particular spectator out.