'He's Almost A Confrontational Character': Henman On Djokovic's Relationship With Crowd
ATP
Former British No. 1 Tim Henman labeled 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 'a confrontational character' given his frosty relationship with tennis crowds.
For most of his career, Djokovic has played second fiddle to his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in terms of fan support. But even with his rapid success and consistent results again the two darlings of tennis, Djokovic grew into a polarizing player due to his on-court antics.
Last month, Djokovic became agitated when some spectators called out his serves during a semifinal match at Wimbledon. In response, Djokovic mocked the crowd by sarcastically applauding, cupping his ears, and pretending to cry.
It wasn't the only time Djokovic played the role of a pantomime villain that week, as earlier during the tournament, supporters cheered for Australia's Jordan Thompson when he kept the score close in a second-round match. Later after the match, Djokovic stated that playing against the crowd is always a motivating factor, something former Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman agreed on speaking to Express Sport.
"He’s always been a character that has slightly divided opinion and that’s not always just because of his tennis and [could be down to] some of the decisions he has made off the court. But having watched him a lot, he’s almost a confrontational character."- Tim Henman spoke to Express Sport
"So if he had 80 per cent of the crowd’s support I still think he is the type of person who would focus on the [other] 20 per cent and use it to motivate him, to fire himself up. I find it fascinating that he does sometimes focus on what seems like individuals in the crowd that maybe are against him. But whatever way he approaches it, you can’t deny it doesn’t work for him because his results have just been incredible."- Tim Henman spoke to Express Sport
Henman, who will work as Sky Sports pundit for this year's US Open, is tipping the Serbian man to win a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title in the next fortnight given his unmatched experience and hard-court prowess. He admits, winning two Slams this year is far from a bad season, something people tend to forget.
"Djokovic is, in my opinion, still the man to beat. We shouldn’t forget that he won the Australian Open, French Open, was in the final of Wimbledon in a fifth set. He hasn’t had a bad year. And given his experience in Slams and his ability on hard courts, I definitely think he’s the player to beat."- Tim Henman spoke to Express Sport
