“I am satisfied and pleased, but I don’t want to stop here – hopefully I get my hands on the trophy,” Djokovic said.
During his fourth-found clash against Dane Holger Rune on Tuesday, Djokovic was forced to listen to the crowd For a little over two hours.
The cadence was gnawing. The 24-time major winner wasn’t happy. Perhaps it was the ‘Ruuuu’ misconstrued as ‘boooo’, or it might’ve been the salt in the air. There was really no telling, but Djokovic was in no mood to listen. He had heard too much for too long. That the 37-year-old won in straight sets was incidental.
“To all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a goooooood night,” he said, letting it resonate through the grounds.
When on-court interviewer Rishi Persad tried to explain it to the Serbian, he wouldn’t listen. “I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse also to boo,” he said.
“I’ve been on the tour for more than 20-years, so I know all the tricks, I know how it works.” Djokovic, going for an eighth title on Church Road, had a message for Centre Court fans.
“I’ve played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me,” he warned.