Novak Djokovic has stormed out on an interview with the BBC after taking exception to the line of questioning around his post-match antics after beating Holger Rune.
The 24-time grand slam champion beat 15th-seeded Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarter finals at Wimbledon and then teed off at the crowd.
Rune’s supporters at various tournaments often will stretch out his last name, saying, “Ruuune!” which sounds rather similar to “Boo!” — which may have left Djokovic confused.
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Novak Djokovic gets up to walk out of an interview. BBC Sport
Djokovic claimed he was being disrespected during his post-match interview before disagreeing with the assertion they weren’t booing.
“They were. They were. They were. I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune. But that’s an excuse to also boo,” Djokovic said.
“Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years. So trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s OK.”
After the incident, the 37-year-old sat down with the BB and was asked how he felt about it on reflection, simply replying “same”.
Djokovic was then asked if he gets the respect he deserves which prompted the Serb to thank those who were respectful, stating he doesn’t take it for granted.
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However, he did admit he reacts when he feels the “crowd is stepping over the line” before revealing he has no regrets.
After being asked about his mindset during the rant, Djokovic snapped back, asking “do you have any questions other than the crowd?”.
“I mean are you focused only on that or are there any questions about the match or is it solely focused on that?
“This is the third question already, I said what I had to say.”
The interview then moved on to Djokovic’s looming quarter final against Australian Alex de Minaur but it was clear he’d had enough.
“I look forward to it, it’s going to be a tough one,” Djokovic responded before abruptly ending the interview with a “thanks” and getting up and walking away.