"Novak Djokovic has to make everything about himself" - Fans react to Holger Rune's "mature" take on booing controversy in Wimbledon 4R loss to Serb

Holger Rune displayed maturity with his take on Novak Djokovic's mocking jibe at a section of the Wimbledon crowd which, according to the Serb, had disrespected him during his fourth-round clash against the Dane on Monday, July 8. Fans expressed their astonishment at Rune's words, as some considered the 21-year-old's words more mature than the 24-time Major winner's.

Djokovic and Rune's Centre Court clash saw the Serb dominate the Dane from start to finish. The World No. 2 deservedly won the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. However, the Serb courted controversy during his post-match on-court interview.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was critical of a section of the crowd in attendance, accusing them of disrespecting him during the match by booing him. Djokovic then went on to say that that particular section of the crowd couldn't "touch" him, and mocked them by repeatedly saying in an exaggerated tone:

"Good night"

Later, during a press conference, Rune was asked about his thoughts on what Djokovic had said and done. The Dane dismissed Djokovic's accusations, as he claimed that the portion of the crowd that came under fire from the Serb was cheering for Rune, and Djokovic could have misunderstood the crowd's reactions.

"If you don’t know what was happening, probably it sounded like ‘boo.’ But… if we all know what happened.. it was my name. He’s played so many matches since he played me last time. If he didn’t remember, it could probably sound different for him," Rune said.

Several fans expressed their surprise at the World No. 15's take on the issue, and dismay at Djokovic's behavior.

"A 21 year old more mature than a 24 time GS champ. Shock," one fan wrote.

"Class, grace, intelligence, everything Fraudovic is not," opined another fan.

"Wow when lil brat Rune gives a more diplomatic answer than the goat," another fan chimed in.

"Good answer, he shows he’s the adult in the room," yet another fan commented.

Others criticized the Serb for his actions.

"Novak has to make everything about himself," wrote a fan.

"Novak does himself no favours by being constantly combative with the crowd. Juvenile and unnecessary. And not showing his kids great sportsmanship, imo. I've spent years as a fan defending him against naysayers, but I'm kinda done," commented another fan.

"Winning slams can never win you respect. Novak is abroad speaking down on the crowd. Even the interviewer in court tried to tell Novak that it wasn't against him, but he kept on talking more. Rune thanks for showing what maturity looks like," another fan weighed in.

Novak Djokovic shared his attitude to dealing with disrespectful crowds earlier this year at the Monte-Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic had pretended to orchestrate the crowd like a conductor during his third-round win over Lorenzo Musetti earlier this year at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters. The incident stemmed from an argument that the Serb had with the chair umpire after a line call went Musetti's way during the first set, following which the crowd started booing the 24-time Major winner.

After the match, at a press conference, Djokovic explained that if he feels he is being disrespected by a crowd needlessly, he will "react back".

"I'm not looking for trouble with crowd. You know, I'm not there coming out, Okay, start whistling at me and I'll play better. It's not the kind of mentality I have. But if people start to react in a certain way that I don't think I deserve, you know, I don't think it's fair, if I don't think it's anyhow explainable, then, you know, I'll react back," Djokovic said.

The Serb's next Wimbledon 2024 outing is set to be a thriller, as he gears up to face the speedy No. 9 seed, Alex de Minaur. The pair have clashed on three previous occasions on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head 2-1. Their last meeting came in the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, which the Serb won 7-5, 6-4.