Novak Djokovic was booed on Centre Court as he pretended to fiddle with his racket after booking his place in his 10th Wimbledon final
The 37-year-old was making his first appearance since he lashed out at sections of the crowd and accused them of “disrespect” following his win over Holger Rune.
But Djokovic was in impressive form as he beat Lorenzo Musetti in three sets to set up a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz.
“During the match, it’s time to do things in a big way, to try to outdo your opponent,” he said. “I’m very happy to be in the final again, but I don’t want to stop there. I hope I can get my hands on that trophy.”
Although some spectators may have thought he was provoking them, Djokovic has celebrated his victories over the past fortnight by playing the violin – even before Monday night’s events.
It’s a tribute to his six-year-old daughter, who is learning to play the instrument and watches his matches on court with Djokovic’s eight-year-old son.
“It was for Tara,” Djokovic had said earlier in the tournament. “My daughter has been playing the violin for a while now, six months, and we agreed that I would celebrate in this way.”
Djokovic was beaten by Alcaraz in last year’s Wimbledon final in an epic five-setter and will be looking to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight titles on Sunday.
On Monday evening, the Serb was repeatedly bombarded with shouts of “Rune”, which he said were intended to be boos in the spicy atmosphere.
And Djokovic took aim at those applauding Rune and explained why he thought it was “disrespectful” before storming out of an interview with the BBC when repeatedly asked about it.
“To all the fans who have respect and stayed here tonight, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it,” Djokovic said Monday night.
“To all those who chose to disrespect the player, in this case me. Have a good evening. Good evening, good evening.”
“They were, they were, I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering Rune, but it’s an excuse to boo him. Look, I’ve been on the circuit for 20 years, I know all the tricks, it’s good, it’s OK.
“I focus on respectful people, who pay their ticket, come tonight and love tennis, appreciate the players and the effort they put in.
“I’ve played in a much more hostile environment, believe me, you can’t touch me. I feel good on the pitch, I’m taking things day by day. I’m going to train tomorrow and I’ll analyse this match.”
