JOHN MCENROE has leapt to Novak Djokovic’s defence amid the Serbian’s row with the Centre Court crowd.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion, 37, felt that he was “disrespected” by rowdy SW19 punters during his match against Holger Rune on Monday night.
Throughout the contest, many spectators chanted “Ruuuune” in support of the Dane, with Djokovic thinking they were booing him.
In his on-court interview following his 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over the 15th seed, Djokovic took a pop at his detractors – sarcastically wishing them a “goooood night”.
Appearing on the BBC the following day, Wimbledon legend McEnroe, 65, launched an impassioned defence of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Asked by presenter Clare Balding what he would say to Djokovic following his crowd rant, the American replied: “Well done.
“He’s been battling this for his whole career. And yes he feeds off negative energy and yes I did feed off it at times but I hated it.
“Do you want people yelling against you? Hoping you’ll lose just because you’re so good they start pulling for the other guy for no reason other than you’re so good. That’s the reason people go against him, in my opinion.
“He’s like the Darth Vader. There’s two of the most class acts we’ve ever seen in tennis: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Who can compare to them in terms of what they brought to the table and the way people loved them? Nobody!
“And then this guy Djokovic has the nerve to come in and break into the party.”
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McEnroe then continued: “How about respecting me after all this? Here’s a guy who had a surgery a month ago. The odds I’d have said were 10 per cent, 20 per cent he’d even play this tournament.
“He’s thinking ‘I’m helping this tournament’, which he is. ‘Why don’t I get some love when I’m playing a guy who’s 15 in the world?’ who hasn’t done a damn thing compared to him.
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“So yes there were maybe a handful of Danish people going “Rune” and I get that people want to see a good match but you have to respect the greatness that you see.
“This is what he’s been dealing with for 10, 15, 20 years that people have been doing this, so I admire the guts that he had to say it there, that takes something.
“Because in a way that’s going to put more people against him! He doesn’t deserve that at this stage, we need him and he’s been too great for our game, in my opinion.”
McEnroe claimed that there have been at least “100 matches” in which Djokovic has been “disrespected”.
Djokovic walked out of an interview with the BBC earlier this week, after receiving three questions all about his altercation with the crowd.
He had already disagreed with BBC interviewer Rishi Persad on court, when the broadcaster suggested that the crowd had been backing Rune, rather than booing him.
Djokovic had been set to take on “honorary Brit” Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals.
The Aussie, who has been dating British No1 Katie Boulter for three years, had appealed to the Centre Court crowd to get behind him.
But the ninth seed was subsequently forced to withdraw ahead of his clash with Djokovic, citing a hip injury during an impromptu press conference.
Djokovic will now get an extra day of rest, before facing either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in Friday’s semi-finals.
