
Andy Roddick, the former world number one tennis player, recently expressed his strong disapproval of the crowd’s reaction to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Australian Open semifinal. Djokovic, who was set to face Alexander Zverev, had to retire due to a muscle tear in his upper left leg. As he left the court, the spectators at Rod Laver Arena booed him, which Roddick found deeply unsettling.
In an episode of his podcast “Served with Andy Roddick,” he shared his thoughts on the incident. Roddick emphasized that while fans are entitled to their opinions, booing someone who might be genuinely injured is not acceptable. He stated, “I didn’t like it. Listen, you can disagree with someone, it’s just booing someone when they’re going off, even if you don’t know if they’re really hurt, you don’t boo.”
Roddick further explained that Djokovic thrives on friction and controversy, but there comes a point where respect should prevail. He added, “I’m not telling you to cheer for someone that you don’t want to cheer for, I’m saying there’s a million miles between not being an out-and-out fan of someone and also booing someone who’s one of the all-time greats. You don’t know if you’re going to see them again. I didn’t like that, it made me feel icky on the inside. I didn’t like that.”
Roddick’s comments highlight the importance of sportsmanship and respect in tennis, reminding fans and players alike that the spirit of the game should always be upheld.
Novak Djokovic in 2025
Ranked no.6, the Serbian played his last match on the 24th of January when he had to retire when playing against world no.2 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal and the scoreline was 7-6(5) .
During this season Djokovic achieved a composed 7-2 win-loss record. Novak Djokovic’s latest run at the Australian Open was the best achievement of his season.
He is also scheduled to play in Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February and () on the 29th of December.