Novak Djokovic said he was ‘ready for the worst’ Wimbledon crowd for his final against Nick Kyrgios on Sunday.
The Serb was booed, as was Kyrgios, after he defeated home favourite Cameron Norrie in Friday’s semi-final.
ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon
Djokovic was heckled by the British crowd as he beat Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to seal a spot in his eighth Wimbledon final.
One step away from a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.@DjokerNole defeats Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach his eighth final at The Championships#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/wVXnsfKrIN
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2022
“I don’t know how the crowd is gonna be, I am ready for the worst,” the 35-year-old was quoted as saying by Sport Klub.
Upgrade your serve with our FREE guide
“I am always ready for the worst because that has been my reality all this time”.
As he was serving the match out against Norrie, a voice from the crowd screamed out at the Serb.
ALSO READ: Nick Kyrgios charged of assaulting former girlfriend
After converting the match-point, Djokovic blew a kiss toward the fan in the stands, which did not go down well with the Wimbledon crowd.
“Look, it is by no means nice to have the entire stadium cheering to your opponent,” Djokovic said in the post-match press conference.
ALSO READ: Lorenzo Sonego accuses Rafael Nadal of gamesmanship
“In fact, it is one thing that I anticipated coming into the match. It was logical for that to occur as a result of he is [the] hometown hero, they needed him to win.
“I knew what sort of surroundings I am going into.”
ALSO READ: Stefanos Tsitsipas calls Nick Kyrgios a bully
Even though Djokovic has won six titles at Wimbledon, he hasn’t ever been the crowd favourite.
The crowd was its most hostile during his 2019 final against Roger Federer, when Djokovic saved two match points late in the fifth set to win the match.
