New Delhi: ‘You guys can’t touch me’. This was the scathing remark launched by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic against a section of crowd at the Centre Court following his fourth round win against Holger Rune in the ongoing Wimbledon.
Djokovic’s success story has been contrasting one than his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, though he has leapfrogged the two to lead the charts for most Grand Slam titles. The Serbian has heard more jeers than cheers everytime he steps on the court, and it only gets spicier when the occasion is a Grand Slam.
But Novak is not the one to hold anything, rather he gives it back either through his performance or verbally. On Monday, he opted for the latter to shun the raucous noise. The crowd persistently chanted ‘Ruuuuune’ in order to boo the tennis star.
“Listen, I have been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks, I know how it works. I focus on the respectful people that pay for the ticket and love tennis and appreciate the players,” Djokovic responded to his detractors. “I have played in much more hostile environments, trust me -– you guys can’t touch me.”
Novak Djokovic just set the #Wimbledon crowd straight after they booed him, as they always do:
“you guys can’t touch me.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/5gP2pv8mEj
— Nat (@Arwenstar) July 8, 2024
In the words of former American tennis player John McEnroe to BBC Sport, Djokovic is like Darth Vader from Star Wars in comparison to Federer and Nadal. The boos only charge up the Serb and further fuels him to prove his tormentors wrong.
“If there were people in the crowd trying to antagonise him and wanted Rune to win – that’s the worst thing you can do. He loves the confrontation. He thrives off that energy. And he plays better. He destroyed Rune,” noted Tim Henman to BBC Sport.
The aforementioned remark from the former British tennis player should remind the Indian sporting fans of a similar character. He is one of those who enjoys similar situation and further turns the tide around him.
How does Novak Djokovic’s personality resembles to Virat Kohli’s?
Novak Djokovic’s journey has been similar to star Indian cricket team batter Virat Kohli. Both hail from humble backgrounds. Both have seen their set of struggles to climb to a stature in their respective sports. The most important common factor among the two is that they wear their heart on their sleeves.
Virat Kohli’s career has been marred with critics lambasting his batting style, some casting doubts over his captaincy, whilst some expressing contempt over his on-field behaviour. However, the Delhi-born cricketer has remained unperturbed and found back his way at various junctures. Aggression is said to be an inherent trait for him, which eventually prompts him to meet desired results.
Kohli is an animated personality and he believes in the philosophy of ‘If You Can Give It, You Gotta Take It’. That’s what Djokovic summed up at the Centre Court on Monday. Both the legendary players are at the twighlight of their respective careers and it will be interesting to look on how do they turn more of their detractors into supporters.
Virat Kohli is an animated personality and he believes in the philosophy of ‘If You Can Give It, You Gotta Take It’. That’s what Novak Djokovic summed up at the Centre Court on Monday. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
