In the world of professional tennis, Novak Djokovic is a big deal, but he’s a bit different from other tennis stars like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. People don’t seem to fully love him or dislike him; he’s somewhere in between. Now, Marion Bartoli, a former French tennis champ, has shared some eye-opening thoughts about Djokovic. You may think that 24 Grand Slam wins, equaling Margaret Court’s record would grant him the status of the GOAT, but things are not easy going as it should be for Djokovic when it comes to popularity.

In a recent talk, she gave some brand-new ideas about his early life and the tough obstacles he dealt with while trying to be admired by the masses.

Novak Djokovic’s complex journey for fan acceptance

In an honest interview, Marion Bartoli shared her thoughts about how Djokovic is perceived in the tennis world. She started by talking about the idea that Djokovic often complains about not getting enough love and attention from fans and the media. First, she’s arguing with the panelist who was saying that Novak is complaining again that he’s not loved.

Bartoli said that even though he’s achieved a lot in tennis and has broken many records, he doesn’t get as much attention from the media as he deserves. Bartoli really believes that if Djokovic came from a different country like the United States, he’d be much more popular. She asserted, “We know very well that if Novak was American, he’d have a statue in every city. Coming from a small Eastern European country, with a recent painful past, affects one’s popularity rating.”

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Bartoli has backed up and empathized with Novak Djokovic on multiple occasions, including but not limited to her conversation with Tennis365 last month.

Bartoli’s insights on Djokovic’s public perception and tennis era dynamics

This isn’t the first time Marion Bartoli has shown sympathy for Novak Djokovic. She believes that Djokovic’s struggle to win universal love from tennis fans isn’t his fault. It’s more about the era of tennis he’s competing in.

“It was more the timing than anything. If you talk to all the players and fans around the world, people like Novak’s personality and have a lot of respect for his game,” Bartoli explained. “Roger [Federer] speaks elegance, Rafa [Nadal], on the other hand, was considered a fighter who won 14 times at Roland Garros. But nobody likes the third party [Djokovic],” Bartoli further stated.

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In Bartoli’s view, if Djokovic had just one major competitor instead of two, he would have a much bigger fan base.

Marion Bartoli’s surprising statements about Novak Djokovic help us understand how fans see him in the tennis world. While Djokovic may not have as many fans who adore him like Federer and Nadal do, Bartoli’s ideas suggest that his unusual path in tennis and his tough upbringing have a big impact on how people view him.

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