xtratime Logo

Novak Djokovic acussed the Centre Court crowd of being disrespectful, pic:x

Xtra Time Web Desk: Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, abruptly ended a television interview on Tuesday, 9^th July after clashing with a reporter who persistently questioned him about the Wimbledon crowd controversy. Djokovic became visibly upset within a minute of the interview, as the reporter focused on his outburst at the Centre Court crowd following his fourth-round men's singles match against Holger Rune.

Despite initially maintaining his composure, Djokovic answered three consecutive questions regarding his accusations of the London crowd "disrespecting" him during his straight-sets victory over Rune. Growing frustrated, Djokovic asked the reporter if there were any other topics to discuss before storming out of the interview with his representative.

Read More:

Euro Cup 2024: Harry Kane backs England's 'big match experience' ahead of semis! Know more

"Novak Djokovic walked away from our post-match interview last night after we asked him about his reaction to some of the Centre Court crowd," BBC Sport stated in a post on X.

Watch here:

Novak Djokovic walked out of his interview with BBC in 98 seconds

Every question was focused on the crowd last night in the Rune match

“Do you have any other questions other than the crowd? Are you focused only on that? This is the 3rd question.”

pic.twitter.com/1ZM4kirPDL

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 9, 2024

During his on-court interview, Djokovic had accused the Centre Court crowd of being "disrespectful" and booing him during his match against Holger Rune. He disagreed with the presenter's suggestion that the fans were cheering for Rune rather than booing him.

'DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTION?'

The incident began when Djokovic sat down for a BBC interview after his dominant fourth-round win. When initially asked about his reaction to the crowd's behavior on Centre Court, Djokovic responded, "Same."

When pressed further, Djokovic expressed gratitude for the support from most of the fans but highlighted the "disrespectful fans" who he felt had crossed a line.

"As I said in the post-match interview, I think most of the people in the stadium were respectful and I thank them and know that after watching tennis all day it's not easy. I was thankful, I don't take it for granted, they are a big part of why I still play, the crowds who appreciate what we do and the effort we put in," he said. "When I feel that a crowd is stepping over the line, I react, I don't regret my words or actions on the court."

When asked a third question about his reaction to the crowd, Djokovic snapped at the reporter.

"Do you have any questions other than the crowd? Are you focused only on that or any questions about the match, or something like that? Or is it solely focused on that? This is the third question already. I said what I have to say, maybe we can speak about something else," he said.

Read More:

Euro Cup 2024: UEFA appoints referee with match fixing scandal past in then England vs Netherlands semi-final!

Before the reporter could ask about Djokovic's upcoming quarter-final match against 9th seed Alex de Minaur, a visibly frustrated Djokovic walked out of the interview.

Djokovic had previously explained his outburst at the crowd during his post-match press conference on Monday evening, clarifying why he felt it was necessary to call out a section of "disrespectful" supporters.