Novak Djokovic took a page out of Rodney Dangerfield’s book on Wednesday.
During the second round of play at the French Open, the Serbian tennis star grew frustrated at the noise being made by fans as it interrupted his serve while he played Valentin Royer in the oppressive heat. His complaints to the chair umpire earned the crowd a warning, but Djokovic didn’t hide his disdain.
“They dont have respect. No respect, no respect.” Djokovic responded to the umpire’s warning.
While the distraction was annoying to the No. 3 seed, the 39-year-old persevered in the 3 1/2 hour match to win 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
“It was a very, very difficult match in difficult conditions,” Djokovic said afterward. “A big challenge for me. … Experience helped me a lot.”
Djokovic certainly has experience with unruly fans.
In 2024, at the Australian Open, Djokovic heard it from the crowd, which was backing local Alexei Popyrin. One fan began heckling Djokovic constantly.
At one point, the 24-time Grand Slam champ confronted the heckler, stopping the game for a few minutes.
“At one point, I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face,” Djokovic said of the incident. “Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have the courage to come down.”
Djokovic is not alone in feeling the tensions rise at the French Open this year. Xinyu Wang drew the ire of the crowd when she crossed onto Tamara Korpatsch’s side to inspect a ball mark.
The heat, which has often been above 90 degrees, caused a ball girl helped off the court during a match on Monday. On Wednesday, Jakub Mensik collapsed after a five-hour, five-set win over Mariano Navone.
Djokovic is slated to play 28th-seeded Joao Fonseca in the third round at Roland Garros.
