John McEnroe has slammed the Centre Court crowd at Wimbledon for their ‘unfair’ treatment towards Novak Djokovic at last year’s men’s singles final.
Djokovic was loudly booed and jeered during his Wimbledon final defeat in 2023 as British spectators firmly got behind his young opponent Carlos Alcaraz.
The seven-time champion cupped his ears and blew sarcastic kisses to fans and was also slapped with a hefty fine for damaging the net post with his racket.
Given his success and legacy at the Championships, McEnroe feels Djokovic has been unfairly treated, especially in comparison to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Asked specifically about how Djokovic was treated at Wimbledon last year, McEnroe told Metro.co.uk: ‘Novak has not only equalled them (Federer and Nadal) but surpassed them in overall achievements, which seemed impossible.
‘Both of those guys, Rafa and Roger, they are total class acts. They are loved and respected around the world. Novak gets the unfair treatment.
‘He’s the villain, the bad guy. I guess you need a good guy and a bad guy in a way. It can help the sport when you have rivalries like that.
‘I think it’s been unfair, honestly, because he is great for the game. On and off the court.
‘He’s been able to do something that I wasn’t able to do nearly as well which is turning lemons into lemonade.
‘You know, when people want to see the underdog or someone else winning, he somehow uses that as fuel to help him. That’s an incredible quality which you can’t underestimate.’
McEnroe has also shared his thoughts on the women’s singles and has named four players who may look to capitalise on Iga Swiatek’s problems on grass.
Swiatek has been a dominant force on the WTA Tour for some time – and just clinched the French Open title with ease – but she struggles on the grass surface.
‘Coco Gauff is a great player,’ three-time Wimbledon winner McEnroe said as he picked out his fellow American as one of his four women to watch.
‘She’s got the major (US Open title in 2023) and knows how to play on the grass. She’s more comfortable on it than Iga Swiatek is.
‘That doesn’t mean Iga isn’t going to figure something out, but she’s more vulnerable on grass than any other surface. It opens the door for some other players.
‘Elena Rybakina, the way she plays, it suits her game more and it’s the same for Aryna Sabalenka, they are big hitters. It’ll be interesting to see what Naomi Osaka can do on the grass. The door is open, for sure.’
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