"Novak Djokovic reminds me of John McEnroe, creating a drama to get himself going" - Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova recently drew a comparison between Novak Djokovic and John McEnroe in light of the Serb's recent altercation with a fan.

Djokovic started his 2024 season on a worrisome note, picking up a wrist injury at the United Cup earlier this month. He required medical attention in his last two fixtures at the mixed team event, casting a shadow over his challenge for a record-breaking 25th Major in Melbourne.

If that wasn't enough, Novak Djokovic was embroiled in a controversy at the Australian Open during his second-round match against Alexei Popyrin, where a fan provoked him. Not impressed by the heckling, the 36-year-old confronted the fan, following which the fan seemingly quieted down and the Serb came through in four sets.

The exchange between the World No. 1 and the heckler worked out well for the former, as he has finally begun playing with conviction in the tournament. He beat 30th-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets in the third round before backing it up with a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 blowout victory over 20th-seeded Adrian Mannarino on Sunday (January 21).

In that context, Martina Navratilova believes that Novak Djokovic actively seeks "drama" in his matches to level his game up. Speaking on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, the 59-time Major titlist compared the 36-year-old with the mercurial John McEnroe, who was renowned for his ill-tempered on-court demeanor in the last century.

She also asserted Djokovic getting frustrated during matches doesn't mean he's down and out, claiming that such situations "give him extra energy" instead.

"He kind of reminds me of John McEnroe, creating a drama to get himself going. And sometimes, Novak does that with fans, he just picks on one and it gets him fired up. But you know, whatever works, sometimes, when the crowd gets negative on you, he goes negative, but it works for him," Navratilova said on TC Live Podcast (39:40).

"At the end of the day, he wins most of those matches even though he looks like he's losing it emotionally, you know. But he never loses a point because of that, I think it just gives him extra energy, whatever works, yeah."

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Novak Djokovic to face Taylor Fritz for a place in the semifinals of Australian Open 2024

2021 Australian Open: Day 5

Novak Djokovic will take on 12th-seeded Taylor Fritz in what will be a record-tying (with Roger Federer) 58th Major quarterfinal appearance for the Serb. Statistically, the 36-year-old should be a lock to win the title in Melbourne if he navigates past the American's challenge on Tuesday (23 January).

The 10-time Australian Open champion has never lost a semifinal or a final in Melbourne, having compiled a 20-0 win/loss record after going past the last-eight stage. Against that background, he will be motivated to win his quarterfinal clash comprehensively.

Also, Djokovic has never dropped a match against Fritz in their eight career meetings on the ATP Tour. The Serb beat the World No. 12 for the loss of just nine games during their last encounter at the 2023 US Open and also got the better of him in five sets at the 2021 Australian Open.