"Trying to push the villain narrative so badly" - Novak Djokovic fans thank Victoria Azarenka for standing up for Serb over recent viral video

Novak Djokovic's fans recently thanked former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka for speaking out in favor of the Serb over a viral video.

Djokovic and Azarenka are currently plying their trade at the 2023 Australian Open. The former cruised past Grigor Dimitrov to set up a fourth-round clash with Alex de Minaur while the Belarusian will lock horns with World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.

Azarenka, 33, recently reacted to a video of Djokovic posted by a tennis journalist. In the video, a six-year-old Djokovic was seen practicing on the court. The caption of the video hinted at the former World No.1's anger after missing a shot.

"Novak Djokovic playing tennis at six years of age! Look at his anger when he misses shots," the tweet read.

But two-time Grand Slam winner Azarenka retweeted the post and provided a different perspective on the video. Instead of focusing on Djokovic's "anger," she talked about how "unbelievable" he was at such a young age.

"Or……maybe look at how unbelievable he is at 6 years old. That can work too no," Victoria Azarenka captioned her tweet.

Djokovic fans were quick enough to thank the Belarusian for her support. Some of them even touched upon the recurring issues of the media's portrayal of the 2022 Wimbledon winner as a villain.

"Thank you Azarenka - voice of reason 🙌🏼 and common sense! They’re absolutely reaching to try ruin his reputation. Trying to push the villain narrative so badly. It’s disgusting," one fan tweeted.

Support for Azarenka kept on pouring in.

"Thank you vika for standing up for Novak," one fan tweeted.

Another fan called both the Grand Slam winners "champions".

"champions have each others back. lesgooo," a fan said.

Other fans continued to thank Azarenka for her support.

"Yeeesss thank you Vika and you tell him," another fan tweeted.

Some more fan reactions include:

How Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka have fared at the Australian Open so far

2023 Australian Open - Day 6

Novak Djokovic remains the only Grand Slam winner in the men's draw. The veteran kicked off his campaign with a three-set win over Roberto Carballes Baena. He followed that up with a four-set win over Frenchman Enzo Couacaud.

In the third round, the World No. 5 faced Grigor Dimitrov, whom he beat 7-6(9), 6-3, 6-4. To fight for a place in the quarterfinals, the nine-time Australian Open winner will face Australian de Minaur at the Rod Laver Arena on January 23.

Azarenka, on the other hand, will square off against third seed Pegula in the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Major. In the opening round, the Belarusian beat American Sofia Kenin in straight sets. Up against Nadia Podoroska next, Azarenka decimated the Argentine, 6-1, 6-0.

In the third round, the 24th seed got the better of 10th seed Madison Keys 1-6, 6-2, 6-1. She then fought past China's Zhu Lin in three sets to reach the quarterfinals.