“Jelena makes Novak Djokovic sleep on couch because his a** tries to sneak medal to bed” – Fans react to Serb wearing Olympic gold medal at US Open

Tennis fans on the internet reacted strongly to Novak Djokovic wearing his Paris Olympics gold medal at the 2024 US Open. He came out with the medal around his neck during an event on the centre court ahead of the main draw action.

Djokovic is set to start his campaign in New York against Moldova's Radu Albot in the first round. He's the defending champion this year and has entered the fray as the second seed behind Italy's Jannik Sinner.

The Serb enters the tournament after a historic showing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he clinched the men's singles gold medal: the only missing award in his trophy cabinet. He defeated Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

The Serb recently walked out at Flushing Meadows with the medal around his neck during the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day festivities. The gesture didn't sit well with some fans on X (formerly Twitter).

A fan wrote:

"I just know Jelena makes him sleep on the couch because his a** tries to sneak the medal to bed."

Another fan expressed discontent, writing:

"So he’s just gonna start wearing that shit like a hospital bracelet now?"

Here are a few more reactions from X:

"Bro will wear that medal until next Olympics," a fan wrote.

"This is not the flex he thought it was. What an arrogant thing to do and he wonders why people cannot stand him. You don’t see any other Olympian bringing their medal to other games/meets. This man constantly wants praise and attention, it’s pretty pathetic," remarked another.

"LOLOLOLOL He's traveling with it everywhere," a third commented.

"This is just so embarrassing. My god," another fan wrote.

Some fans also supported Djokovic on X, saying he deserved to celebrate his accomplishment:

"I would've done the same rbh," a fan conceded

"Hero with a diamond heart and gold medal," wrote another

"Its something he is proud of. Very similar to the winner of the Masters wearing the Green Jacket out in public. Why do you have such an issue with someone showing off something theyre proud of?" a user said in defence of the Serb

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Novak Djokovic: "I still feel the drive"

Novak Djokovic is the defending champion at the US Open 2024 (IMAGE: Getty)

Novak Djokovic has had one of the greatest sporting careers of all time, with 24 Grand Slam titles, 428 weeks at world Number 1, and now an Olympic gold. However, he expressed his desire to achieve more in a recent media interaction ahead of the 2024 US Open.

"People ask me, 'Now that you have basically won everything with the gold medal, what else is there to win?' I still feel the drive. I still have the competitive spirit. I still want to make more history and enjoy myself on the tour," he said (via New York Post).

He further stressed the importance of Grand Slams, saying:

"Grand Slams are the pillars of our sport. They're the most important historical tennis events we have, so if you don’t get pumped and inspired to play your best tennis at Grand Slams, it’s hard to do that anywhere else."

Djokovic will become the only tennis player to win 25 Major titles if he wins the US Open. He's tied with Australia's Margaret Court in the all-time Grand Slam winners' tally right now.