Novak Djokovic has been forced to unfollow Andrew Tate online after growing public clamor from tennis fans.
A lot of what people do in the financial ecosystem these days has the capacity to leave a footprint and stir up controversy. Even something as miniscule as a "following" on the internet is enough to generate widespread controversy.
That's the position that Novak Djokovic found himself in, in the last two days. One user on X (formerly Twitter) revealed this, with a screenshot showing that Djokovic followed Tate on the platform.
Tate is a polarizing British-American social media influencer who has earned a bad reputation for his controversial commentary on topics like religion, masculinity, and wealth.
He has been accused of promoting toxic masculinity on his platforms and making hot-button comments about women, which have been perceived as misogynistic.
Tate, who currently lives in Romania, was placed under house arrest together with his brother Tristan and then under judicial control after he was released from jail over allegations related to rape, human trafficking, and fraud. He explicitly denied the charges.
So, when the news emerged that Djokovic was following him on X, it gained massive traction. Prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote, "Novak Djokovic, GOAT of tennis and GOAT of unforced errors."
Several tennis fans were equally scathing in their criticism of the former World No. 1, who, on the day of the revelation, had beaten his great rival Rafael Nadal in their 60th meeting to reach the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
One fan alleged that the "following" was not a surprise given that Djokovic concurs with what Tate said on COVID-19 vaccination, "A sexual predator a child groomer someone who got arrested for conducting sex racquets a r@p£ accused but hey he is an anti vax after all ofcourse djokovic loves him."
Following an influencer on social media doesn't necessarily mean you endorse their content or support them. It could be borne out of curiosity, interest in certain areas of their views that align with your thoughts, or the intention to engage with them on what you don't agree with.
Djokovic appears to be updated with what is happening on the internet. Upon receiving a huge uproar, he unfollowed Tate, and Rothenberg contended that the matter was swiftly dealt with.
"Well, yes! Definitely glad to see this addressed quickly. Implicit endorsement of Andrew Tate was horribly unbecoming of someone of Djokovic’s position and influence, so I’m glad he heard the alarm on this one."
Djokovic is not the first tennis player to distance themselves from Tate. In fact, the Serbian's fellow tennis player Nick Kyrgios "went to great lengths" to pull out from his engagement with the influencer once he was "aware of the full picture."
For a famous and highly successful pro like Djokovic, it is crucial that he doesn't associate with people who can tarnish his name within the tennis fraternity and with off-court sponsors.
Djokovic was clearly unaffected by the development and booked his spot in the quarterfinal with another straight sets win over Dominik Kopefer. He will play World No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday evening.
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