Novak Djokovic clashed with the Wimbledon crowd during his first-round match against Wu Yibing on Centre Court, cupping his hand to his ear after winning a pivotal point in the third set. The seven-time champion appeared visibly irked by the British crowd's vocal backing of his opponent, who entered as a considerable underdog but managed to claim the second set.
Wu Yibing's Audacious Play Stirs Crowd
Having won the crowd over with a string of audacious shots and tenacious play, Wu's name echoed thunderously around the famous arena. With all other matches in the evening session suspended due to fading light, every eye at the tournament was fixed on the Djokovic vs Wu encounter. Yet as Wimbledon spectators chanted "Wu," many interpreted the noise as booing directed at Djokovic. The 26-year-old Chinese star's name was cheered even when Djokovic claimed points, which visibly appeared to rankle the Serbian.
Djokovic's Pointed Response
As Djokovic mounted a comeback in the third set, he clinched a pivotal point and immediately raised his hand to his ear, scanning the entire stadium with a pointed look. BBC commentator Andrew Cotter captured the moment: "It's loose, it's wide. It's wild from Wu and Djokovic says 'cheer for me now'. And they do!" Co-commentator John McEnroe added: "You don't do that to Djokovic, start chanting Wu. It's a bad idea. We've seen it hundreds of times. He's like thank you." Cotter continued: "He has this curious relationship with Centre Court. Sometimes they go against him, they are looking for the underdog and the story. But if you wind him up like that and cheer for his opponent, he will feed off that."
History of Crowd Tensions
This is far from the first occasion that crowd backing for an opponent has provoked Djokovic. In 2024, the seven-time champion took on Holger Rune in the fourth round on Centre Court, with fans chanting "Ruuuune." However, Djokovic believed they were booing him and confronted the crowd during a heated on-court interview. "To all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a gooood night," he said. When informed that spectators were merely calling out the Dane's name, Djokovic responded: "They were disrespecting me. I don't accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune, but that's an excuse to also boo."
Djokovic's Quest for Eighth Title
Djokovic is bidding to secure a joint record eighth Wimbledon men's title, having reached the final at SW19 on nine occasions. Yet his rapport with the crowd has not always been harmonious. He has frequently felt underappreciated and maintained that he never received the same warmth and affection that his predecessors, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, enjoyed throughout their careers.
