Be it Federer or Nadal, Novak Djokovic has always troubled GOATs on the courts. But off-court there are many people who have tried to trouble the Serbian star. There were many analysts who always believed Novak Djokovic has ‘pockets’ of popularity in the world. That he has fans and people do love him. But also he was the center of hate as well.

In a survey recently conducted by World Sports Network, Djokovic topped the men’s list of most hated tennis players. The survey was based on the hate reactions stars get on their social media posts. When asked about the same in a press conference during the ongoing French Open, Djokovic didn’t seem concerned. People may judge him, but Djokovic won’t budge an inch.

Novak Djokovic on why people hate the greats

The reaction of Djokovic to the question about the WSN survey was both sharp and firmly rooted. The 22 Grand Slam winner responded, “Does that surprise you? Personally, I’d be surprised if it were any different.” After demolishing the charges, Djokovic went on to quote the great basketball player Kobe Bryant. He said, “As Kobe used to say, it’s a great quote: ‘Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones’.” 

In short, people hate the greats. But the verbal fireworks of Djokovic’s defense were not over yet. After successfully using online hate as an argument for his greatness, he began to give blows to the culture of hatred. The French Open organizers already are using AI moderators to filter out hate comments. But Djokovic began launching attacks on hate itself. Many stars have voiced concerns over how hate affects mental well-being. They especially made the concern about the young players.

A verbal crusade against hate

But the 36-year-old took a step ahead to launch the verbal crusade against bullying and racism. He talked about how he doesn’t hate anybody and why it is horrendous emotion. In addition to that, he said that he doesn’t raise his children on such beliefs. Furthermore, he added that being hateful tells a lot about the person who spreads it. Rather than the one it is directed at.

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The Serbian star further added that he has tried to do things to the best of his abilities and hate should not weaken him. Furthermore, he added that yet he does consider himself infallible. He said, as reported by the Eurosport, “Yes, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but at least I was authentic.” The tennis legend further commented that winds of hate should not change the direction of his values.

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Djokovic missed the Madrid and Barcelona Open. He struggled a bit in Rome due to his injury history. But at least the star is letting hate disrupt his 2023 Roland Garros dream.