John McEnroe: “It’s not fair that Novak Djokovic is the villain while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get love”

McEnroe believes tennis needs to have both good and bad guys for an interesting rivalry.

John McEnroe: “It’s not fair that Novak Djokovic is the villain while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get love”

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago, X)

According to John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic has developed the reputation for being tennis’ ‘bad guy’, but that doesn’t mean he should be deprived of respect given that he stands on top with 24 Grand Slam titles. McEnroe knows very well what it meant to be a bad boy, as he was infamous for his temper on the court.

The 65-year-old American’s tantrums have been well documented, with the most popular being his Wimbledon meltdown when he shouted ‘You cannot be serious‘ at the umpire. He believes a sport needs to have both good and bad guys for an interesting rivalry, which is why he thinks it is unfair when Djokovic is labeled as the villain, while the other two members of the Big 3- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal– are treated with respect and love.

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Novak gets unfair treatment. He’s the villain, the bad guy. I guess you need a good guy and a bad guy in a way. It can help the sport when you have rivalries like that. I think it’s been unfair, honestly, because he is great for the game, on and off the court. It’s not fair that Djokovic is the villain while Federer and Nadal get love.
John McEnroe told iNews

Federer retired in September 2022 after his doubles match along with Nadal. Nadal and Djokovic are still playing but have not won a title this season yet. While Djokovic has set his eyes on his eighth Wimbledon title (he will announce the decision of his participation soon), Nadal, who lost in Roland Garros first-round will skip the event at SW19 to feature in the Nordea Open in Sweden to get more practice on clay before kick-starting his campaign at the Paris Olympics with doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz. 

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John McEnroe explains why rivals must not underestimate Novak Djokovic 

Novak Djokovic is a controversial figure in the tennis fraternity thanks to his behavior on the court and some of his comments which haven’t sat well with fans. Despite the 24 Grand Slam titles, tennis courts sometimes reverberate with boos when Djokovic plays. 

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)

John McEnroe praised Nole for not losing his concentration and rhythm amidst the criticism and believes he lacked this quality during his playing days. He also warned the Serb’s rivals to never understand him because even after being in a difficult situation, he emerged victorious many times. 

He’s been able to do something that I wasn’t able to do nearly as well which is turning lemons into lemonade. When people want to see the underdog or someone else winning, he somehow uses that as fuel to help them. That’s an incredible quality that you can’t underestimate.
John McEnroe told iNews

Djokovic injured his knee during Roland Garros and underwent surgery. He is at Wimbledon to train and achieve full fitness ahead of the start of the tournament.

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