Novak Djokovic after Wimbledon 3r win: "My reactions were explosive, but I had to get it out of my system & put them in their place"
Novak Djokovic didn't receive a lot of support from the Wimbledon crowd during his third-round victory over Denis Kudla. The spectators occasionally jeered Djokovic and cheered raucously for the American underdog, and at the end of the match the Serb let out a loud yell in the direction of the stands.
While speaking with the Serbian press after the match, Novak Djokovic admitted that his reactions go overboard at times. But in the same breath, the World No. 1 claimed that he only reacts that way to release the pent-up energy in his system.
"My reactions were explosive, perhaps more explosive than they should be, but I had to get it out of my system and put them in their place," Djokovic said.
Novak Djokovic was also asked whether he feels antagonized by the lack of fan support during his matches. In response, Djokovic revealed that he had become used to the treatment meted out by the spectators, most of whom constantly root against him.
"Look, to be honest, it is not something that the people do not see," Djokovic said. "It is a fact that I play 90 percent of my matches, if not even more than that, against the opponent, but against the stadium as well."
Novak Djokovic also asserted that although he had thick skin, these things did get to him once in a while. In that context, Djokovic conceded that there were very few places where he has received more support compared to his opponents.
"Places where I get more support than my opponent are rare," he said. "It is something that I am used to, but on the other hand, I am a human being with emotions, so it is normal that sometimes it gets to me and annoys me when someone provokes me."
If Novak Djokovic lifts the Wimbledon trophy this fortnight, he would become the first male player since Rod Laver to win the first three Grand Slams of the year. He is naturally under a lot of pressure at the moment, and he attributed his exuberant celebrations during Friday's match to the stress he was experiencing on the court.
"Look, you know, in the heat of battle, these things happen," Djokovic said. "You release the emotions, the stress, the pressure that you feel on the court. Yeah, sometimes you are maybe looking for a little bit of support or sometimes you just want to let it go. That is what happened to me."
"I like to think about wolves as my kind of spiritual nature guide" - Novak Djokovic on his unique energy
Novak Djokovic was then asked to break down the comments he made to the ATP, where the Serb claimed his fighting spirit was akin to that of a mountain wolf. In reply, the Serb claimed that wolves were his spirit animal, before narrating a story about how wolves shaped his principles growing up.
"I like to think about wolves as my kind of spiritual nature guide," Djokovic said. "I really do because I've seen some wolves when I was a kid, kind of roaming in the forest in the mountains where I grew up, and that encounter kind of left me frightened and then at the same time even more connected with wolves, and I feel that the connection has carried on throughout my life."
Novak Djokovic then claimed he was only half-kidding with his "wolf" remark, before reiterating how he could relate to their energy because he grew up with them.
"It was kind of a half-joke on the court, so to speak," the Serb said. "There is the connection, and I personally feel it, there is that energy of wolves and mountains and everything that I grew up with and the circumstances that I was in when I was a kid – I carry that with me, and that helps me find that energy when I need it."
"That dynamic energy that sometimes it just turns into a roar or an outburst but most of the times it is useful energy," he added.