“Can’t have everyone liking you,” 36-year-old Novak Djokovic’s out-of-the-box wisdom is a lifestyle choice that keeps him going on the court

Novak Djokovic challenged a heckler to come down to the court during his second-round match against Alexei Popyrin in the 2024 Australian Open.

“Can’t have everyone liking you,” 36-year-old Novak Djokovic’s out-of-the-box wisdom is a lifestyle choice that keeps him going on the court

Novak Djokovic (image via: Australian Open)

Novak Djokovic got candid about what goes inside his head when he is called out or booed by the fans during a match in the press conference after beating Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round of the Australian Open.

The conversation, of course, was in context with the altercation that took place between him and a certain fan in the stands who was heckling him during his second-round match against Alexei Popyrin. 

YouTube video

The Serb always deals with haters like this head-on, and that is exactly what he did that day on the court as well. He challenged the fan to come down to the court to say things to his face. 

FS Video

The fan later apologized to the player, and he ended up winning the second round in style. Talking about the incident, Djokovic said that these negative remarks always fuel him even more to perform better. 

It was fueling me even more. I mean, if I made a mistake, I would admit it and, of course, say I make a mistake, I raise my hand, I apologize or whatever. But if the criticism came with no particular reason I think, then I would just keep going the kind of direction that I chose, and that’s it.

He said via AO Presser

Djokovic will face Adriano Mannarino in the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open. The Serb has defeated the Frenchman in all four of their meetings in the past and is expected to get a similar result this time as well.

However, it will be an interesting battle as Mannarino’s performance in the previous round, where he beat Ben Shelton in a 5-set thriller, was hands-down phenomenal.

Novak Djokovic is aware that he can not have everyone liking him 

The Serb shared some great words of wisdom as he went on to explain that he cannot have everyone liking it, and he is aware of that fact at this point in his career. 

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Source: Imago)

However, reactions to situations like this also depend from person to person. Thus, the Serb reacting the way that he usually does to the haters should also not be questioned. 

I knew and I know today that you can't have everyone liking you, who you are, how you play, how you behave, what you talk about. It's normal. We're all different. We are all different preferences.
Djokovic said.

The Serb thrives under pressure, and even in the match against Alexei Popyrin, he became charged up after the altercation with the fan. It is things like these that make Novak Djokovic one of the most entertaining players in the world. His passion and aggression on the court are simply unmatched. 

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