French coach Patrick Mouratoglou has made a stunning admission on why Novak Djokovic is “hated” by tennis crowds.
In a recent interview at the UTS Grand Final in London, Mouratoglou explained why Djokovic, winner of 24 Grand Slams, has been subjected to constant heckling from fans and has never been held on the same level of adulation as the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic has surpassed both of his longtime rivals in terms of tennis numbers. He has a winning head-to-head record against the pair and has won more Grand Slams, ATP Finals crowns, and Masters titles than Federer and Nadal.
Yet, Djokovic doesn’t quite have the same pulling power of fanfare that Federer and Nadal enjoyed throughout their careers. That doesn’t mean Djokovic is less charismatic, but it is because he disrupted the hegemony set by Federer and Nadal on the tennis circuit, according to Mouratoglou.
When Djokovic came along as a potential force on the men’s tour, his more accomplished rivals already commanded considerable favoritism from the spectators. So when Djokovic began defeating them more regularly on the court, he was portrayed as a villain, making him less of a likable player.
“Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were the biggest superstars of tennis, but Novak came in and beat both of them and the crowds hated him for that. I think he is booed for other reasons as well.”
The ex-coach of Serena Williams then asserts that Djokovic is sometimes provocative when he plays as it helps him to play better.
The Serbian star recently claimed he would prefer to play in a friendlier atmosphere than a hostile one despite his well-documented reputation of thriving when the crowds are against him.
Nevertheless, Djokovic is still considered an incredibly wonderful athlete and a role model for aspiring tennis players. Testament to this, he has a massive social media following and is Serbia’s most prominent sportsperson.
“He says he doesn’t like this negativity, but sometimes he pushes the crowd to boo him because it helps him during the matches. What we should not forget is has 14 million followers on Instagram, he is a huge hero in Serbia. He is the biggest name in tennis and we will all miss him when he stops playing the sport.”
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