"They don't know anything about Novak Djokovic the man" - Serb's fans lash out at journalist for terming his violin gesture as 'irritating'

A prominent tennis journalist has come under fire from some of Novak Djokovic's fans for being critical of the Serb's imitation of playing a violin after his win over Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics. Djokovic made surprisingly short work of Nadal on Court Phillipe-Chatrier on Monday, 29 June, cruising to a 6-1, 6-4 win to keep his pursuit of his maiden Olympic gold medal alive.

The World No. 2 came out all guns blazing against the Spaniard, who looked shellshocked by Djokovic's aggressive game. Nadal's unforced errors rapidly piled up, and the Serb ran away with the first set 6-1. Things looked to be going the same way in the second, but Nadal briefly held his own, coming back from 0-4 down to square things up.

Unfortunately for him, the Spaniard's serve was broken soon, with Djokovic ultimately hitting an ace to quite possibly bring Nadal's Roland Garros days to an end. Soon after the customary handshake between the great rivals at the net, Djokovic imitated playing a violin with his racquet; an act that has become synonymous with him this season.

Later, an article titled 'Djokovic Won but It Was Nadal's Moment at Paris Olympics on Roland Garros Clay' was published by Sports Illustrated. Written by journalist Michael Rosenberg, the opinion piece suggested in one place that Djokovic's violin act, which is meant to be a tribute to his seven-year-old daughter Tara learning how to play the musical instrument, was "irritating". Rosenberg opined that the Serb could have found other ways to celebrate.

Some Djokovic fans on X (formerly Twitter) took notice of the article and they criticized Rosenberg's words. Some fans took swipes at the journalist suggesting that he shouldn't have commented on a celebration that's essentially meant for Djokovic's young daughter.

"Who gives you the right to tell the GOAT how he should celebrate with his young daughter? Such toxic journalism," a fan wrote.

"Imagine vilifying the way a father celebrates in a special way with his nine-year-old daughter. Pathetic," commented another fan.

"How dare Novak had a father-daughter moment with his little girl, who never stopped smiling, surrounded by people cheering against her dad? How dare Novak think of his daughter instead if thinking of his haters? This is a new low," another fan chimed in.

Other fans also spoke up and criticized the views expressed in the article:

"Why was it "Nadal's moment"? Novak won. Surely it was the winner's moment, if it was anybody's?" asked a fan.

"It’s guys like Mike Rosenberg who create the hateful narrative for Djokovic amongst casual fans. Evil of the biggest kind," another fan opined.

"Just goes to show that they don’t know anything at all about Novak the man, nor do they want to. Just cheap shots from cheap people," commented another fan.

"What a sour hater!" a fan wrote.

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Novak Djokovic sheds light on his relationship with great rival Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic (L) and Rafael Nadal (R) at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Source: Getty)

Following his emphatic victory against Nadal, Djokovic was asked by reporters about his relationship with Nadal. The Serb admitted that the fierce rivalry between himself and the Spaniard has made it difficult for them to connect on a personal level.

"It's tough to be close, honestly greatest rivals, and you don't want to maybe give insights to your life or the way you feel and stuff because that can maybe expose you and stuff. I guess that's one of the reasons why maybe we didn't connect so close and I don't think at that level you can really connect so close to anybody, but who knows when the career ends for both of us," Djokovic said.

However, the 24-time Major winner was optimistic that the two could develop a different, closer relationship once their playing days are over. While Nadal's Paris Olympics campaign is set to continue in doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic's next challenge would be to get past German Dominik Koepfer.