Novak Djokovic may not have all of the crowd on his side at the Australian Open this year according to a Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic will be looking to win a 25th Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year, which is his most successful major tournament.
However, the Serbian faced a setback ahead of the tournament, with Djokovic withdrawing from the Adelaide International after admitting he was not physically ready.
These concerns have been lessened after Djokovic was seen practicing ahead of the Australian Open, but he may not be the fan favorite according to a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion.
Paul McNamee says Novak Djokovic rubs Australian tennis fans the wrong way
Djokovic is a record 10-time Australian Open champion, but according to Australian doubles champion Paul McNamee he may not be loved by everyone.
When speaking to SEN, McNamee explained his belief that Djokovic is respected by Australian tennis fans, but claimed that some controversies have rubbed his compatriots up the wrong way.
“I think the Olympic gold cemented his status from a respect perspective,” said McNamee. “I don’t think there’s an issue with respect anymore. His record is the greatest. There’s no doubt about that.
“But popularity? No not as much. I have spent a lot of time with Novak, he is so popular in the Balkans, I see the opposite in compared to the west. He is loved in that part of the world.
“The thing for Aussies is he just has a bit of drama. It rubs Aussies the wrong way. I like Novak – I know him personally. He is a very good guy, but he rubs Aussies the wrong way. His mannerisms are not our thing. He is a good bloke.”
The Australian Open is the best Grand Slam… discuss!
Paul McNamee suggests if he thinks Novak Djokovic can win a 25th Grand Slam
Djokovic is no stranger to dividing opinion, and he will be mostly focussed on attempting to win his 25th Grand Slam.
Despite reaching four major semifinals last year, McNamee admitted that he thinks it is going to be unlikely with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the picture.
“He made the semis of all four last year but was beaten badly in all four,” said McNamee. “The year before he won the Olympics but that’s a three-set match. Backing up five sets matches makes it very unlikely, to be honest he needs the other two (Alcaraz and Sinner) to lose somewhere.
“He’s very competitive but backing up the five sets is hard. This maybe the last time we see him, who knows. He says he wants to go through until the 2028 Olympics, making semis is fine but if he starts dropping off it will be harder for him.”
Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?
Djokovic lost three of his four Grand Slam semifinals last year against either Alcaraz or Sinner, with his other coming after he retired with injury against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open.
As the fourth seed, Djokovic will discover who his forecasted semifinal opponent will be when the Australian Open draw takes place on Thursday, January 15.
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