NEW DELHI:
Novak Djokovic
, the world number two and seven-time Wimbledon champion, expressed his displeasure with a portion of the Centre Court crowd after securing his place in the quarter-finals of the All England Club for the 15th time.
The Serbian star, who is aiming to break the record with a 25th major title, defeated the 15th-ranked Holger Rune in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Following his victory, Djokovic directed a scathing on-court rebuke at a group of spectators who had been persistently chanting "Rune" throughout the match.
WATCH:
The Serb interpreted their behavior as booing and labeled it as "disrespect."
This incident marked Djokovic's 60th Grand Slam quarter-final appearance, further solidifying his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
"To all the fans that have had respect and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it," said an angry Djokovic.
"And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player -- in this case me -- have a goooooooood night," he added, mocking his tormentors' exaggerated "Ruuuuune".
When told by the TV interviewer that some fans were shouting "Rune" rather than "boo" Djokovic hit back.
"They were (booing). They were. I am not accepting it. No, no, no. I know they were cheering for Rune but that's an excuse to also boo," he said.
"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.
"I have played in much more hostile environments, trust me -- you guys can't touch me."
Djokovic said that crowds have the "right to cheer who they want to cheer".
"I'm not sure what Wimbledon can do about it. You can't remove a whole section of the crowd if they are misbehaving," he said.
"I respect true fans but if someone steps over the line I will react."
"It sounded a little bit like 'boo'. We played each other many more times, but more in Italy and France, where they don't pronounce my name the same way," he said.
"Now we're in England. If you don't know what was happening, probably it sounded like 'boo'. If he didn't remember, it could probably sound different for him."
Djokovic will face Australian Alex de Minaur for a place in the semi-finals.
English (US) ·