- Novak Djokovic, 37, was unhappy with a section of the crowd on Centre Court
- He accused some of them of booing him during his win over Holger Rune
- Djokovic later walked out of a BBC interview after being quizzed on the subject
Novak Djokovic walked out of an interview with the BBC on Monday night shortly after beating Holger Rune in straight sets on Wimbledon‘s Centre Court.
Djokovic won 6-3 6-4 6-2 in what was the last match played at SW19 on Monday.
Directly after the match during an on-court interview, Djokovic expressed his disappointment at the behaviour of some sections of the crowd.
The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion believed that some fans had been booing him, although it is understood that they were actually shouting ‘Ruuuuuuune’ in support of his 21-year-old opponent.
After leaving Centre Court, Djokovic later sat down for another interview, but he was not sat down for long.
Djokovic’s conversation with the BBC lasted just a couple of minutes before he stood up and walked away.
The interview began with the reporter bringing up the subject of Djokovic’s post-match comments about the crowd, before asking him how he felt after having a little more time to reflect.
Djokovic replied: ‘Same.’
The 37-year-old was then asked if, as a seven-time champion at Wimbledon, he believed that he gets the respect he deserves.
An agitated Djokovic responded: ‘Look, as I said in the post-match interview, I thanked all of the people.
‘Most of the people in the stadium tonight were respectful and I thank them and I know that, after watching tennis all day, it’s not easy to stay
‘So, I was thankful. I don’t take it for granted. Obviously, they’re a big part of why I still play, the crowds and the people who really appreciate the tennis players and what we do and the efforts we put in.
‘We appreciate them paying tickets and coming to support us and support tennis, to support this beautiful tournament. So I always try to acknowledge that. But when I feel the crowd is stepping over the line then I react. I don’t regret my words or actions on the court.’
Then came another question about the crowd, with the reporter asking him how their conduct affects his game.
But Djokovic did not want to say anything more. He hit back: ‘Do you have any other questions other than the crowd? I mean, are you focussed only on that or do you have any questions about the match or something like that, or is it solely focussed on that?’
The reporter then attempted to justify his line of questioning by pointing out it had been Djokovic who initially raised the subject after his match.
But Djokovic said: ‘Well, I mean, this is the third question already. I said what I had to say.’
Eventually, the reporter did change the subject by asking Djokovic about his next match, against Australian Alex de Minaur, but this was seemingly too late for the Serb’s liking.
He gave a short reply before standing up and leaving: ‘Yeah, I look forward to it. It’s going to be a tough one. Thanks.’