Novak Djokovic defends short temper on court, claims 'I can't be liked by everyone'

For anyone who watched Novak Djokovic's tumultuous beginning in tennis, there has been a marked change in the World No.1's behaviour over the years. The teenager who did impressions of other players and seemed to give up on matches halfway through has been replaced by a stoic man hungry for wins. Aggression, of course, has always been a part of his game as much as anyone else's and in another game may have been appreciated, but it seems that the superannuated world of tennis has not taken kindly to this. Despite this, off the court, Djokovic is a staunch advocate for peace and mental health. Also Read | Novak Djokovic Surprised With Rafael Nadal's 'perfect' Game At Roland Garros Final: Watch "He did surprise me with the way he was playing and the quality of tennis he was producing." Novak Djokovic reflects on the final and things to be grateful for 🙌#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/JfxfCSEzJh — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020 Also Read | Roger Federer Hailed By Fans For Special Post For Rafael Nadal Post 20th Grand Slam Win Why is Djokovic not so well received by audiences? As a youngster who had just broken into the game when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were ruling the roost, Novak Djokovic had a tough time gaining the acceptance of audiences who saw him as an outsider to an already great rivalry. Even Roger Federer and Rafa, and greats like John McEnroe were known to have outbursts on the court, yet somehow, Novak Djokovic seems to have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to respect. Despite having better head-to-head records against both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and holding multiple tennis records, Djokovic still has to prove his worth as the GOAT of tennis. Despite being the only active player to have defeated Rafa at the French Open, his loss is still the only thing talked about. Despite Federer's 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 loss to Rafa at the 2008 French Open final, this is still considered a humiliating loss. It seems that Djokovic may only be respected if he tops the duo in Slam titles. Also Read | Australian Open 2021 To Allow 50% Crowds In Stadium, Roger Federer And Serena Williams To Participate Djokovic admits he cannot be liked by everyone With his signature post-win celebration and a number of other trademark fan engagement methods, it is obvious that Novak Djokovic is trying to be more positive in his approach. For a while now it has been obvious that this lack of love has affected Djokovic. After his one-sided loss to Rafa at the French Open, Djokovic admitted, “I understand that there are people that don’t like maybe what I do on or off the court. I understand that I can’t be liked by everyone. That’s fine." Djokovic also reflected on his life and said that in times like these, he tries to remind himself of all that he has achieved, and how far he has come. Growing up in war-torn Serbia, Djokovic has faced hurdles that very few modern-day players could even imagine. He also said that the initial anger of his career came from his experiences in the war, but he has actively worked on forgiveness. “I try to remind myself of how blessed I am really to be in this position. I try to reflect on the early days of my career, where I grew up, how I grew up." Also Read | Rafael Nadal Beats Djokovic To Win 13th French Open, Equals Federer's Grand Slam Record Image Credits: Roland Garros Twitter

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Novak Djokovic defends short temper on court, claims 'I can't be liked by everyone'

There has been a marked change in Novak Djokovic's behaviour over the years, yet the Serb has not received the adulation that his counterparts are used to.

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