Why does Novak Djokovic keep getting booed at Wimbledon?

Novak Djokovic is a seven-time Wimbledon champion, making him the second most successful men’s player in the history of the event after Roger Federer. However, you wouldn’t necessarily know it from watching one of the Serb’s matches at the All England Club.

On Sunday, Djokovic can equal Federer’s record of eight singles victories in a repeat of last year’s final against Carlos Alcaraz, who teased the crowd following his semifinal win over Daniil Medvedev with his comments on Spain’s upcoming Euro 2024 final against England.

While, the Spaniard’s interaction with those in attendance on Centre Court was good-natured, there has been a more uneasy atmosphere during and after some of Djokovic’s games at this year’s tournament.

It was noticeable in last year’s final, the first time Alcaraz had gone that far, that the vast majority of the crowd was pulling for the 21-year-old rather than the seven-time champion. And they went home happy as the youngster won his second ever Grand Slam, which he has since added to, in a near five-hour, five-set classic.

Djokovic hits out at Wimbledon crowd after Holger Rune match

This year, Djokovic hit out at the Centre Court crowd after his round-of-16 win over Holger Rune, claiming the manner in which they were chanting his opponent’s name (“Ruuuuuune”) was actually a subtle way to boo him.

“To all the people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, gooooooooood night,” the 37-year-old fired back. “They were disrespecting me. I am not accepting it. No no no. I know they were cheering for Rune but that’s an excuse to also boo.”

Support for Rune or boos? Even if it were the former, the very fact fans would cheer for a 21-year-old Dane with no real track record at Wimbledon over one of the tournament’s most successful ever players is telling.

Why did Djokovic imitate playing the violin after winning?

The latest development came on Friday, when Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti to set up a return final against Alcaraz. The Serb celebrated his victory by imitating playing a violin - which he had also done in earlier rounds - while turning to face all four stands on Centre Court. Some were left confused, while others felt as if the veteran star were mocking them in some bizarre way.

Often interpreted as a gesture faking sympathy for others people’s troubles, it turned out Djokovic had actually done it to dedicate his win to daughter Tara, who started playing the violin six months ago.

Why doesn’t the Wimbledon crowd like Djokovic?

One of the most possible reasons appears to be that Djokovic’s timing has been off through his career.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion came onto the scene long after Roger Federer had established himself as the darling of Wimbledon, while Rafa Nadal was also a huge fan favourite by the time ‘Nole’ became a force to reckon with.

Djokovic emerged as a rival for both, eventually surpassing their achievements in the sport in terms of major wins.

And that’s not to mention his superiority over Andy Murray, the best British men’s player in the modern area. Although the Scot won the only Wimbledon final between the two, Djokovic had his number overall, with 25 wins to 11 in head-to-head matches.

The Serb has also been at the centre of a number of controversies over the years, which may have rubbed people up the wrong way. He himself has previously admitted that his desire to became the best tennis player in history has led to him coming across as “arrogant” at times, while he has often struggled to keep his emotions on check on the court, lashing out verbally at umpires, fans and even members of his own team.