Novak Djokovic displayed his ferocity both on the court and off it as he lambasted the British fans present during his Davis Cup quarterfinal game against Cameron Norrie for disrupting his interview with Jeers.
Serbia went on to qualify for the semifinals with a 2-0 victory, thanks in part to Djokovic’s stupendous performance. His anger towards the UK fans in the stadium was an uncharacteristic outburst from the Serb, one that got a lot of reactions online, including a subtle jab by Great Britain’s Andy Murray.
Andy Murray’s subtle jab at Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray did not participate in Great Britain’s failed attempt to qualify for the semi-final and sat out of the matches. However, that did not stop the veteran from taking to social media to share his thoughts on his nation’s run through the tournament. His post was appreciative towards fans, but that did not hold him back from aiming at Novak Djokovic.
Amid an uproar from tennis fans about the rowdy behavior of the UK crowd, who constantly jeered Novak, Murray said, ‘Huge thanks to all the fans who made the big effort to travel out there and create a brilliant atmosphere for the players’ in his post.
Tough one for the guys in Malaga last night @DavisCup 😞
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) November 24, 2023
Huge thanks to all the fans who made the big effort to travel out there and create a brilliant atmosphere for the players👏 the Davis cup without you = 👎
Murray’s subtle yet visible jab at Novak was not in good taste, given that the 24-time grand slam champion was enraged by the constant interruption to his post-match interview. Whether Murray meant it that way or he was just summarizing his journey through the Davis Cup is up for debate but fans immediately recognized its intrinsic message.
The post was immediately admonished for its jab at Novak Djokovic by social media users, and the Brit was heavily criticized for his words.
Tennis community is upset with Andy Murray poking Novak Djokovic
The online tennis community rejected Murray’s ostensibly commemorative post, discerning an underlying attack on Novak Djokovic.
Many fans were upset with Andy Murray for displaying a boorish attitude towards a colleague and friend. Others criticized his post for being too mediocre in content, as it omitted the challenges Novak had faced with the unruly audience.
I hope you also condemn the minority of the GB fans that were trying to disrupt Djokovic post match interview? I've had some GB fans contact me today to say how disappointed they were with those fans and that they didn't represent the majority of the fans who were respectful.
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) November 24, 2023
For your own good, @andy_murray, free yourself from your jealousy towards Djokovic.
— Genku (玄空) (@Dogenku) November 24, 2023
You are a great tennis player & your comeback from the injury has been nothing short of impressive & inspiring.
Scotland has produced many great people. You have the opportunity to be one of…
Disgusting attitude towards your colleague/friend and you say "great vibe"??? Out of this world
— Etern Tito ♥ !! (@NoleRulez7) November 24, 2023
While Novak Djokovic has recently had his fair share of troubles with audience on the court, his experiences on Thursday were in bad taste as Serbia had just destroyed Great Britain and the moment was a cause for celebration, not rude reactions from fans.
Andy Murray’s stint at the Davis Cup ended on Thursday but Novak Djokovic’s tryst with glory will continue as Serbia takes on Italy for a place in the final. The 36-year-old Serb will possibly face Jannik Sinner for a third time in 2 weeks, and a win for Serbia would leave them one set of matches away from a second Davis Cup title.
What are your opinions on Andy Murray’s poke at Novak Djokovic on Twitter? Let us know in the comments section below.
