"If Jesus and Santa Claus play, the French crowd would still boo them" - Tennis fans react as Novak Djokovic is booed while beating Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic endured a booing Roland Garros crowd en route to his win over top-seed Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 French Open semifinals on Friday, June 9. He beat the Spaniard 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the final on Sunday.
Djokovic is now just one win away from retaining the ATP World No. 1 slot and bagging a record 23rd Grand Slam title. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz, who matched the Serb in every department in the first couple of sets, cramped up in the third in the semifinals on Friday.
Tennis fans have reacted strongly online to Djokovic being booed on Court Phillipe Chatrier after Alcaraz was deducted a game for receiving treatment on the court. The Spaniard eventually left the court for a bathroom break after the third set but failed to make a match of it despite his best efforts.
People booing Djokovic when he pumps his fist. Like, don’t you get that he’s not really in a much better state than Alcaraz?? Haven’t you watched this match? I mean, it’s a freaking miracle and he’s just begging for it to go on a little while more.
"People booing Djokovic when he pumps his fist. Like, don’t you get that he’s not really in a much better state than Alcaraz?? Haven’t you watched this match? I mean, it’s a freaking miracle and he’s just begging for it to go on a little while more"
One fan derided the French Open crowd, stating that they would find reasons to boo even Jesus and Santa Claus.
If Jesus and Santa Claus happened to play on Chatrier, the French crowd would still find the reasons to boo them.
"If Jesus and Santa Claus happened to play on Chatrier, the French crowd would still find the reasons to boo them"
The barrage of reactions on social media continued after a match that was billed to be a potential humdinger failed to live up to the expectations.
Here are some of those tweets:
Djokovic appears to be getting booed for:
A) Winning
B) Celebrating winning
C) Not cramping
Seems ever-so-slightly harsh
Novak Djokovic being booed as he celebrates reaching the 34th Grand Slam final of his career. This really doesn’t make sense.
Booing Djovak? They never learn.
@carole_bouchard I’m so fu*king sick of fans and media insisting on different standards for #Novak versus the rest of @atptour. So many guys flaunt their emotions, they can be boastful, arrogant, fist pump all day and media says, oh it’s cute. When Novak does it, they can’t deal? I know why.
Never EVER trust an account that cheers on the crowd booing one player but criticizes the booing of another player.
So many journalists who said they sympathized with Taylor Fritz shushing the crowd after his match, and these same people are loving watching Novak Djokovic booed.
Displaying an admirable spirit of sportsmanship, Novak Djokovic checked on his opponent on the court as he displayed signs of physical distress. He also expressed sympathy for the current World No. 1 in his post-match interview.
"I feel sorry and hope he can recover" - Novak Djokovic after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in French Open SF
Novak Djokovic began his on-court interview with a word of sympathy for Carlos Alcaraz, hoping that the 20-year-old recovers soon.
Djokovic admitted that physical problems were the last thing any player wanted during the last stages of a Grand Slam.
"First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos, because at this level the last thing you want is cramp, physical problems at the last stages of Grand Slam," Djokovic stated. I feel for him, I feel sorry and I hope he can recover."
Novak Djokovic advanced to the summit round of a Grand Slam for the 34th time. He is now level with Chris Evert making it to the most number of Grand Slam finals in the Open era.
He will face the winner of the second semifinal between Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.