"Novak Djokovic is World No. 1 in a global sport, to see him throw his racket at Olympics is unacceptable" - Felix Auger-Aliassime's coach
Felix Auger-Aliassime's coach Frederic Fontang believes Novak Djokovic must improve his on-court behavior given the fact he is a global icon followed by millions.
Fontang specifically pointed to Djokovic's act of petulance at the Tokyo Olympics, where the World No. 1 flung his racket into the stands during his bronze medal match against Pablo Carreno Busta.
Djokovic also proceeded to smash another racket a few minutes later, this time whacking it mercilessly against the net post.
Fontang, on his part, believes that since Djokovic is one of the biggest ambassadors of the sport he must maintain a good image. According to Jeremy Chardy's former coach, the 20-time Major champion ought to learn how to control his emotions and "set an example" when on the court.
"Novak is the World No. 1 in a global sport; to see him throw his racket at the Olympics is not acceptable, no matter how disappointed he is," Fontang said in a conversation with Welovetennis.com. "He is a star who is watched by the whole world, he must set an example."
Djokovic just tossed his racquet into the stand. No warning. https://t.co/TMCv29dCnQ
𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱: 😤😤😤😤
Novak Djokovic destroyed his racket midway through the deciding set of his shock bronze medal match defeat to Pablo Carreno Busta ❌
#Tokyo2020 | #Tennis https://t.co/LJHN51DCnX
"You couldn't predict such a career, but it was clear Novak Djokovic was ambitious" - Frederic Fontang
During the conversation with Welovetennis, Frederic Fontang also spoke about the time he first came across Novak Djokovic when the Serb was still a junior. According to Fontang, Djokovic was "very expressive and professional" during his early years and had a solid backhand to boot.
The 51-year-old pointed out that Djokovic's ambition was clear to see even during the Serb's formative years.
“My first memory about Djokovic goes back a long way: he was a junior and I was taking care of Jérémy Chardy," Fontang said. "He was already very expressive on the court and very professional off the court. His backhand was also well drilled.
"You couldn't predict such a career, but it was clear he was ambitious. To answer the question, I would say that his record is unassailable. However, I can understand that some of his reactions are not appreciated."