John McEnroe thinks it’s ‘unfair’ that Novak Djokovic is treated like a ‘bad guy’ while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get respect – FirstSportz

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

According to John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic McEnroe has earned a reputation as the “bad guy” of tennis, but that doesn’t mean he should be deprived of respect considering he’s at the top with 24 Grand Slam titles. McEnroe knows very well what it means 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 tantrum when he shouted “You can’t be serious” at the referee. He believes that a sport must have both good guys and bad guys for a rivalry to be interesting, which is why he thinks it is unfair that Djokovic is labeled as the bad guy, while that the other two members of the Big 3 – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – are treated with respect and love.

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 with Nadal. Nadal and Djokovic are still playing but have yet to win a title this season. While Djokovic has his eyes on his eighth Wimbledon title (he will announce his participation decision soon), Nadal, who lost in the first round at Roland Garros, will skip the event at SW19 to compete at the Nordea Open in Sweden for get more practice on clay before kicking off his campaign at the Paris Olympics with doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz.

John McEnroe explains why rivals should not underestimate Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is a controversial figure in the tennis fraternity due to his on-court behavior and some of his comments that have not gone down well with fans. Despite his 24 Grand Slam titles, the tennis courts sometimes ring with boos when Djokovic plays.

John McEnroe praised Nole for not losing his focus and rhythm amid criticism and believes he lacked that 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 several 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 get in top shape before the tournament starts.

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