Novak Djokovic was left dissatisfied with the court conditions in his fourth-round clash against Francisco Cerundolo at the 2024 French Open, voicing his displeasure repeatedly during the contest. Tennis fans did not take kindly to the Serb’s continuous complaints, questioning his intentions.
Following an impressive comeback win over Lorenzo Musetti, Djokovic fought back from the brink of defeat once more against Cerundolo in the fourth round. Trailing two sets to one, the World No. 1 displayed his characteristic resilience to claim a narrow 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory after a closely contested four-hour and 39-minute battle.
Beyond his thrilling win, the Serb drew attention for repeatedly airing his grievances with the “slippery” court conditions, even hitting out at the ground staff after taking a fall in the fifth set.
“Great job from you guys. You know better than us. It’s not slippery at all. Not dangerous at all. Well done supervisor and everyone. Ground staff, well done,” he muttered to himself while sarcastically giving a thumbs up in the direction of the tournament referee.
Fans were left frustrated by Novak Djokovic‘s “incessant” complaints about the court, with many questioning why Francisco Cerundolo wasn’t afflicted with the same issues.
“256 singles players at the French Open but only one is incessantly complaining about the courts…,” one fan commented.
“He’s such a whiner. Other guy isn’t slipping all over,” another fan chimed in.
“He’s really performing for that Oscar tonight. Has his opponent fallen over? 🙄,” wrote another.
A few, meanwhile, called out the Serb for being “entitled,” particularly for his criticism of the ground staff.
“Entitled narcissist who thinks the world owes him something but the world thinks he is a petulant cry baby that doesn’t deserve respect. Bully and a coward,” one fan posted.
“Here we go, AGAIN. Everytime this narcissist is losing he has some wild complaint or an issue. Nobody else had any issues on the clay today so I don’t feel bad for him. He didn’t even “slip” he fell over his own feet. Trying to belittle the staff, cut the antics and grow up!” another fan chimed in.
“Take off those rose tinted glasses…his behaviour is awful. Will probably win as that’s his plan,” said yet another.
Several fans also accused the 24-time Grand Slam champion of strategically raising his complaints to disrupt Cerundolo’s rhythm.
“He starts the drama to throw off Cerundolo,” one fan commented.
“Just exactly when Cerundolo won 2 consecutive points and was starting to feel more positive… 🤔,” another fan wrote.
“Great concentration from cerundolo even Djokovic is making all the interruptions to stop the flow of the game,” said another.
Novak Djokovic to take on Casper Ruud in French Open QF
In a rematch of last year’s final, Novak Djokovic will square off against Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals of the 2024 French Open. Ruud will be out for revenge after suffering a 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 loss in the title clash in 2023.
The Serb enjoys the upper hand in their rivalry, holding a 5-1 lead in their head-to-head record. However, Ruud claimed his first win over the World No. 1 in their most recent encounter, securing a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory on clay in this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.
If Djokovic triumphs over the Norwegian in the quarterfinals, he will continue his title defense against the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur in the semifinals.