The Parisian crowd was not always kind to Novak Djokovic, in this edition of the French Open. The Serbian received several boos as he entered the third round match with Diego Schwartzman and after hitting the ribbon with his racket in the match against Rafael Nadal.
The Majorcan, unlike Djokovic, was able to count on the support of the crowd from the first to the last minute. A factor that, according to what was declared by the Belgrade player, could have affected the progress of the match.
In fact he explained: “99.9% of the audience was with him, and that helped him in difficult moments. He was a better player in the important moments. He got off to a great start. He was able to take his tennis to another level in those particular moments.
At the beginning of all sets, actually, except the fourth. I had my chances in the fourth. I served for the set, double set point. One or two shots were all it took. They could have taken me on a fifth. At that point it’s really anyone’s game.
But once again, he has shown why he is a great champion.”
John McEnroe defends Novak Djokovic
John McEnroe did not like the behavior that the crowd reserved for Djokovic in Paris at all. The American legend defended the Serbian at SportKlub: “No other tennis player has had to deal with these attitudes, it’s not fair.
In the past he has found a way to raise his head and overcome difficult times, it’s true. But if we believe that he is not swayed by the audience or the boos, we are all crazy. He is so strong mentally that he can transform all of this into positive energy.
But I think the audience disrespects him.” It was not the first match played by Djokovic in this hostile atmosphere, but during the quarter-finals of the Roland Garros the Serbian was destroyed on more than one occasion even between the first and second service.
