Novak Djokovic has been stirring up controversy among fans at the Australian Open. As the tennis star has been serving his opponents with defeats one after the other, the crowd still isn’t supportive enough for him. The Serb recently developed a negative image by reigniting the controversy with Ben Shelton.

While fans didn’t get over the disappointing move, he made another statement to invite hate. After winning his recent match against Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry, Djokovic made a statement that involved Roger Federer and Shelton again. As fans found the comment irrelevant, negative responses rained over him again.

Fans lash out at Novak Djokovic over his recent thoughts on Federer and Shelton

Novak Djokovic is currently being viewed negatively. Despite keeping his game up to the highest levels, the tennis star made statements involving the Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer, which brought hate against him. “I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving at the beginning. I think it didn’t sit with him well. I don’t know about the others,” he said, highlighting his perspective on how Federer viewed him. Besides that, he also made a statement on Ben Shelton that sparked the controversy that the young American has been trying to end.

As the World No.1 made this controversial statement, he faced the disturbing wrath of the fans. Scrolling down to the comment section of a tweet highlighting Djokovic’s recent comments, a fan presented his discomfort over the comment involving Shelton. He wrote, “Novak trying to deem Ben’s US Open conduct ‘unacceptable’ makes me uncomfortable.”

Novak trying to deem Ben’s US Open conduct ‘unacceptable’ makes me uncomfortable https://t.co/lctEHktOEq

— GlamSpinTennis (@GlamSpinTennis) January 19, 2024

Another fan, marking the Serb’s action as bullying against the rising star, commented, “Djokovic really needs to stop bullying and criticising Shelton, it’s getting really sad and pathetic now.”

A fan trolling Djokovic on his recent comments gave a detailed description as he wrote, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the #1 player in the world. Founder and President of the Professional Tennis Players Association, dissing a 20 year old college kid in his first year on Tour. STILL talking about a perceived lack of respect from 5 months ago. What a guy!”

Making fun of the legendary tennis star on his perspective against Federer, a fan commented, “Obsessed with Federer lol.”

With these and several other comments that fell on a similar note, the fans left no space to criticize Djokovic. As this continues, it remains to be seen if he can rectify his image or continue to be ignorant about it.

Jim Courier defends Ben Shelton as he considers him ‘misunderstood’

As the debate continued to draw the fans’ attention, renowned tennis community members also presented their opinions on the controversy. Former American tennis player Jim Courier, known for his expertise on the court, said that the young compatriot’s side was misunderstood. Getting involved in a conversation with Eurosport, the legend presented a verdict that made highlights.

“I think that Ben is a confident young man and has a lot of swagger on the court,” he said, backing Shelton in the controversy. He also appreciated the 21-year-old’s potential and added that Shelton would cherish an opportunity to play against the Serb. “I think he’d relish the opportunity to play Novak – these young guys want to test themselves against the best,” Courier added. As fans had a near miss in seeing both these players against each other, it remains to be seen if it happens in the upcoming rounds.