Jimmy Connors backs Novak Djokovic for ‘standing up for himself’ after he was booed off court due to Australian Open withdrawal

Novak Djokovic injured his hamstring and was forced to quit his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open.

Jimmy Connors backs Novak Djokovic for ‘standing up for himself’ after he was booed off court due to Australian Open withdrawal

Novak Djokovic, Jimmy Connors (Images via X, NBC)

Novak Djokovic was heavily booed by a section of a disappointed crowd at Rod Laver Arena when he decided to retire after the first set in the Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev. Former ATP player Jimmy Connors backed the Serb for always standing up for himself after stirring controversies due to his conduct or stance on certain matters.

Djokovic’s vaccination saga is well known among the tennis community. He was detained in Melbourne before he was deported for his unvaccinated status during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022.

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Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam singles champion, gave his opinion on Djokovic’s point of view while discussing his latest Australian Open withdrawal. As per Connors, not ‘everybody can wear the white hat’.

He stood up for himself. He thought that is the way it should be done, didn’t meet with the approval of many…many people around the world, and that’s something he got criticized for. I am talking about Covid.

Jimmy Connors said on Advantage Connors podcast

Djokovic is the most successful man in the history of Grand Slam events, lifting 24 major titles. Apart from this record, he has achieved numerous other feats in his two-decade-long career. According to Connors, despite giving his all to the sport, Djokovic would still be criticized.

The emphasis here is that it is never enough. You can push yourself to the brink and be on life support and they would still boo you.

Jimmy Connors added

Critics questioned the severity of the injury and even thought that the 10-time Australian Open champion was acting when he limped off the court during the quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz. After withdrawing from the semifinal, Djokovic shared the result of his MRI scan on social media.

Jimmy Connors feels age is Novak Djokovic’s biggest opponent

Novak Djokovic is in the twilight of his career, and his age has started to affect his performance. In spite of doing his all to save himself from succumbing to injuries, they are now ruining his chances in the tournaments that matter to him the most.

Novak Djokovic (11)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

He called off his quarterfinal match at the 2024 French Open and then the hamstring muscle tear forced him to retire mid-match in the Australian Open semifinal. According to Jimmy Connors, age tires out the players mentally and physically and it takes a lot of time to recover after a long match.

He does everything possible to make it possible for him to go and play the kind of tennis he wants to. But even doing that, there is one guy you can never beat, and that’s age.

Jimmy Connors said on Advantage Connors podcast

Djokovic had a tough draw at the Melbourne Slam. He had to play Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, and had he progressed to the final, he had to face World No.1 and eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Connors stated that Djokovic was handed a tough draw because of his ranking. Djokovic, currently at No.6, when the rankings were updated on Monday, entered the Australian Open as a World No.7.