Novak Djokovic: ‘Crowd Used Rune Chant as Excuse to Boo

Novak Djokovic accused some of the Centre Court crowd of using a Holger Rune chant as an “excuse to boo” during their fourth-round Wimbledon match. Despite winning convincingly 6-3 6-4 6-2, Djokovic felt disrespected by the crowd’s behavior, who greeted Rune’s winners and Djokovic’s errors with elongated cries of “Ruuuuuuu-ne.” When interviewer Rishi Persad suggested they were supporting Rune, Djokovic responded, “That’s an excuse to also boo… I know all the tricks.”

Djokovic, aiming for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon men’s title, has had a contentious relationship with the crowd. In the 2019 final, his former coach Boris Becker noted Djokovic deserved more respect after beating Roger Federer. Two years ago, Djokovic was booed after blowing a kiss to fans following his semi-final win over Briton Cameron Norrie.

During Monday’s match, Djokovic appeared unfazed, though he stared at Rune supporters after winning the second set and looked towards chanting fans before his on-court interview. “I played in much more hostile environments… you guys can’t touch me,” he said, thanking respectful fans. Rune clarified that the chants were supportive, saying, “If you don’t know what was happening, probably it sounded like ‘boo’.”

The elongated vowel chant is not new at Wimbledon. Sue Barker and Joe Root received similar chants earlier in the tournament. Novak Djokovic, who faces Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, seemed to see the humor by the end of his interview, wishing the crowd a “goooooooood night.” However, he stood by his comments later, saying, “When I feel a crowd is stepping over the line, I react… I don’t regret my words or actions on the court.”