"Chatter about Novak Djokovic opposing wasn't anything"- Tennis journalist reacts to the Serb featuring in video game after reported refusal
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg commented on Novak Djokovic featuring on the official game of the ATP and WTA called Tiebreak, which became available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam. Rothenberg's comment stemmed from tennis analyst Jon Wertheim's story of how the 37-year-old reportedly refused to endorse a video game offer.
After winning his maiden Olympic gold in the French capital recently, Djokovic is heading into the 2024 US Open in a bid to clinch his 25th Grand Slam title and surpass the record of 24 Grand Slam wins that he shares with former tennis icon, Margaret Court.
An X post shared by "TieBreak", dubbed as one of the most realistic tennis simulations, showcased Djokovic on the video thumbnail, which caught the attention of journalist Ben Rothenberg.
Reacting to the post, Rothenberg highlighted an incident where Djokovic reportedly said video games "wasn’t a good use" of his time when asked to endorse a video game. Rothenberg wrote,
"I guess that chatter about Djokovic refusing to do video games to protect children or whatever wasn’t really anything, huh."
He supported his statement by adding:
"(Which is fine! Video games are fine!)"
In an episode of Tennis Channel in January this year, tennis pundits such as Martina Navratilova and Jon Wertheim discussed Djokovic's plant-based diet and how he is always on the run to be better.
Mid-way through the conversation, Wertheim recalled an incident when the Serb refused a video game brand endorsement because it "wasn’t a good use" of his time.
"He had a chance to do a video game endorsement and said, 'I don't believe in the product, this isn't a good use of my time.' You think about how many video games come up and bring my PlayStation on the road. Not only does he not play video games, but he actively repudiates," Jon Wertheim said [at 3:40].
Ben Rothenberg praised Novak Djokovic for being 'authentic' at Wimbledon 2024
Novak Djokovic went up against Holger Rune in the Round of 16 clash of this year's Wimbledon. The Centre Court spectators were cheering for Rune, which the Serb felt was a jeer at him. The Former World No.1 eventually chalked up a comfortable straight-sets victory over Rune and gave his take on the chants during his post-match interview.
"To all the fans that have had respect and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it. And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player – in this case me – have a goooood night. Goooood night, goooood night. A very good night," the Serb said in an on-court interview after the match.
Ben Rothenberg praised the 24-time Grand Slam champion and wrote, via his X handle:
"Paranoid or not, fragile or not, immature or not, this version of Djokovic is so, so much more authentic and enjoyable than the heart-throwing nonsense of a decade ago."
The Serb will go against the Moldovan tennis player, Radu Albot, in the first round of the 2024 US Open, slated for August 26, 2024.