Novak Djokovic’s Davis Cup Outburst: Calls for Respect and Silence from British Fans

Novak Djokovic urges British fans to “shut up” and show “respect” after leading Serbia to victory in the Davis Cup quarter-finals in Malaga on Thursday night.

During the tie, the Great Britain team had a boisterous, 5,000-strong section of fans supporting them. When Djokovic won the opening set against Cameron Norrie, he responded by cupping his ear and blowing kisses to the British fans in the crowd.

Djokovic, unhappy with the fans’ noise between his first and second serves and the drumming during his on-court interview after defeating Norrie, sharply told the fans to “Learn how to respect players, learn how to behave yourself,” before adding, “no, you shut up, you be quiet”.

The 24-time grand slam champion considered the atmosphere “normal” for a Davis Cup tie but indicated that some supporters crossed a line by annoying him during the match.

After the match, Djokovic stated, “In the heat of the moment, you react too, and you show that you don’t allow this kind of behaviour.”

The Great Britain captain, Leon Smith, did not criticize the team’s fans and said the atmosphere they created was “one of the good things about the Davis Cup”. Serbia were also backed by a sizable continent at the sold-out stadium in Malaga.

On the court, Britain was knocked out of the team competition while Serbia advanced to face Italy in the semi-finals.

Djokovic has won every tournament he has entered since his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final four months ago.