Watch: Eugenie Bouchard calls Novak Djokovic a "crybaby", describes Rafael Nadal as a "beast"
Former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard recently referred to Novak Djokovic as a "crybaby" when asked to describe the Serb in one word. Bouchard was playing the game 'word rally' on Tennis Channel, where she was asked to blurt out the first word that came to her mind at the mention of certain people and things.
Djokovic was the 10th name on the list and the Canadian responded with the word "crybaby" while sporting a cheeky grin on her face.
The names of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were also thrown at Bouchard. In Federer's case, the 27-year-old Canadian merely said "Roger", but she went on to call Nadal a "beast."
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Belinda Bencic were the other tennis players Bouchard was asked to provide a one-word response for.
In Tsitsipas' case, Bouchard came up with the word "Greek," but for Bencic, the Canadian provided a lengthier response, lauding the Swiss for winning an Olympic gold medal in singles before her more illustrious compatriot Roger Federer.
Here is a list of Bouchard's one-word reactions to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Bencic, and Tsitsipas.
Federer: Roger.
Djokovic: Crybaby.
Nadal: Beast.
Bencic: Gold medalist in singles before Roger Federer. Amazing.
Tsitsipas: Greek.
It is interesting to note that while Bouchard struggled to give interesting responses in most cases, she did not have to think too much before calling Novak Djokovic a "crybaby."
The Canadian also gave one-word descriptions of several non-tennis personalities and household items, including Elon Musk, Kanye West, Maple Syrup, and Ryan Reynolds.
Is Novak Djokovic really a crybaby? And if he is, is it a bad thing?
By definition, a crybaby is someone who complains easily and quite often. Does Novak Djokovic do that? Yes, but arguably no more than most of the top players on tour. On most occasions that Djokovic has his feelings be known, there's been an underlying reason.
The Serb's comments have also often been misinterpreted and twisted by sections of the media, leading to intense criticism. A recent example of this was when an innocuous quote from Djokovic about the pressure of dealing with the Golden Slam was twisted to make it seem like he was giving his opinion on Simone Biles' mental health concerns.
As for the matter of his outbursts on the tennis court, Djokovic is scrutinized a lot more than all of his peers. The Serb made headlines for smashing a racket on the net during the Tokyo Olympics and then flinging it into the stands.
Daniil Medvedev did the exact same thing just a day before, but his actions went quite unnoticed. Djokovic is not the first player to smash a racket in frustration, and he will certainly not be the last. So, this particular aspect should not be held against him.