Novak Djokovic attacks ‘disrespectful’ chants after routing Holger Rune

As the 2022 tennis season started to wrap up in the chilly indoor arenas all over Europe, Novak Djokovic found himself in a rare position. During the Paris Masters final in November, the Serb's exceptional performance would have normally been enough to beat many opponents, but this time his rival was superior. On that evening, a courageous 19-year-old named Holger Rune defeated Djokovic to claim his first Masters 1000 title.

Consistently performing at a top level every week is much more difficult than showing occasional moments of brilliance. Even though it has been two years since their last meeting, Rune has not shown as much improvement as he had anticipated. This time, their match was one-sided, with Djokovic completely dominating under the Centre Court roof on Monday evening. Djokovic's impressive performance resulted in a straightforward 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory, securing his spot in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

The game was also memorable for the loud cheers from the audience, who repeatedly shouted "Ruuuune" in a deep, drawn-out chant that was reminiscent of booing. After winning, Djokovic appreciated the respectful fans but called out those who he believed were disrespectful. When the interviewer mentioned that the fans might have been cheering for Rune rather than disrespecting Djokovic, he disagreed.

"I don't believe it," he stated. "No. I am aware that they were rooting for Rune, but that's not a reason to boo. I've been competing for over 20 years, so I understand all the tactics. I know how it goes. It's alright, I'm okay with it. I concentrate on the fans who show respect, who purchased tickets to attend and enjoy tennis, and who value the hard work the players put in. I have experienced even more challenging situations, believe me. You all can't affect me."

Djokovic's win at Wimbledon puts him in the quarter-finals for the 15th time in his career, and the 60th time in a major tournament. This is considered one of his most impressive quarter-final achievements, especially given that he had knee surgery just 26 days before the start of Wimbledon. The surgery was necessary after he had to pull out of the French Open quarter-finals due to a torn meniscus in his knee.

Back then, it appeared likely that Djokovic would not compete at Wimbledon, especially with the upcoming Olympics on clay courts. However, he has surprised everyone by consistently defeating top tennis players and improving in each match. He is still a strong contender for the title, even with other favorites in the tournament.

After Rune's impressive win against Djokovic in Paris and his climb to a top-four ranking last year, he appeared to be the most promising young player following in Carlos Alcaraz's footsteps. However, the world of tennis is challenging. Despite Alcaraz's continued success and Sinner's improvement, Rune has faced difficulties this year. His struggles were evident from the start, as he lost his first service game poorly, allowing the 15th seed to break his serve and fall behind 2-0. Djokovic dominated the first 12 points of the match.

During the game, Djokovic displayed a strong serve, controlled many exchanges from the back of the court, and utilized a variety of shots effectively. He kept his opponent Rune guessing with drop shots and approaches to the net while maintaining composure during important moments. As the crowd's support grew, Djokovic acknowledged some fans. Despite this, he stayed consistent and secured the victory.

Djokovic expressed gratitude to fans who were respectful and stayed during the event. He thanked them sincerely and noted his appreciation. To those who were disrespectful and chanted negative comments, he bid them a good night.

Rune didn't have a problem with how the crowd was behaving. He mentioned that fans had tried similar chants at their last meeting in 2021. "If you weren't aware of the situation, it might have sounded like 'boo'. But if we all knew what was going on, it was actually my name. He's played many matches since we last faced each other, so he may have forgotten. It might have sounded different to him. I don't think it had a big impact on the match," Rune explained.

Next, Djokovic will compete against the ninth seed, Alex de Minaur, in the 60th quarter-final match on Wednesday. De Minaur previously won against Arthur Fils with a score of 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

The tennis player from Australia got hurt towards the end of the game when he slipped while reaching for the ball, but he reassured everyone that he was fine. In an exciting turn of events, Taylor Fritz, who was seeded 13th, showed his skills on the court by making an impressive comeback from being two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, with a score of 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3.