‘Learn How To Respect Players’ – Novak Djokovic To Rowdy British Fans In Davis Cup

Last updated on November 27th, 2023 at 05:37 am

A high and mighty Serbia thoroughly outperformed Great Britain in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in Málaga as they advanced to the final four with a 2-0 win on Thursday night. The team will clash against Italy in the semi-finals on Saturday for the coveted trophy.

Miomir Kecmanovic performed spectacularly to defeat Jack Draper 7-6(2), 7-6(6) in a high-quality tussle and recorded the first point for Serbia. Novak Djokovic, the best player in the world, comfortably defeated Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to seal victory for the team.

Novak Djokovic Asks Rowdy British Fans To “Shut Up”

Despite the ease, the clash was not without its controversy. Djokovic has accused a vocal set of British fans of showing him “disrespect” throughout his match. “The entire match, pretty much, [they showed] disrespect, but again, that’s something I kind of have to be prepared for.”

The Serb’s irritation was evident during the first set and as he served out the set, he punctuated the service game by blowing a kiss to a spectator who had been particularly loud. Chaos reentered as the player addressed the crowd in the on-court interview after the match.

Some British fans started to drum loudly, drowning Djokovic’s voice out. He reacted instantly: “We’re going to have a good sleep tonight,” he said, addressing the rowdy fans during the interview. The Serb asked the group to “shut up”, adding “learn how to respect players.”

Novak Djokovic Continues To Break Records For Serbia

Afterwards, Djokovic said while fans can do whatever they want, he will continue to respond in any similar scenarios. The British Davis Cup captain, Leon Smith, highlighted that there had been no issues between the two teams.

Beyond the drama, the Serb keeps breaking records. He is now unbeaten in 21 singles matches in Davis Cup. With the victory, he now owns Serbia’s record for most match wins at the tennis event, overtaking Nenad Zimonjic, the former doubles No 1.