Outrage as Novak Djokovic is booed after retiring mid-match with injury

Novak Djokovic has divided the internet after a group of American spectators booed the Serbian tennis star after he retired from his US Open fourth match against Swiss player Stan Wawrinka. The 16-time major winner and triple US Open champion was forced to pull out from his match on Sunday night due to a left shoulder injury.

Now spectators are facing backlash for their reaction to the incident. Djokovic was down 6-4, 7-5, 2-1, when he opted to end the match in New York at Arthur Ashe Stadium. In a video, which was shared on Twitter, boos can be heard from the grandstands as the player makes his exit.

While the boos didn’t seem to phase the tennis star, fans around the world weren’t pleased with the response. Taking to social media, many people slammed those who booed Djokovic, claiming it was shameful.

“Say what you want about him but Novak Djokovic is one of the most professional athletes in our sport,” one social media user wrote. “He did not deserve to be booed for retiring it has been well-documented that he has struggled with injuries this week, even if he has been pretty tight-lipped about it.”

Another added: “Djokovic doesn’t deserve to get booed for retiring. He has been hurt that past few matches and still tried to play. If he retired it was because he couldn’t keep going. He’s not a quitter.”

While a third wrote: “Shameful that the crowd booed Djokovic. He’s one of the greatest of all time and would never has withdrawn unless he was in severe pain.”

However, others sided with the American spectators, with one writing: “He is a quitter. Retirement is the easy way out to save face from losing. He should’ve just finished and let Wawrinka get the straight when he deserved.”

Another added: “Those tickets are expensive and NY fans expect more for their money… that’s seriously it.” While a third wrote: “He retired because he didn’t think he could win.”

This isn’t the first time the world champion has pulled out of a match. In 2017, Djokovic was forced to retire against Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon due to an elbow injury. He also pulled out of the Australian Open’s season-opening exhibition event in Abu Dhabi the same year.

Speaking out after the match, Djokovic told reporters, according to a news.com.au report: “The pain was constant for weeks, sometimes less and sometimes more.” When asked about the crowd’s reactions, he added: “I am not being offended, I don’t pay too much attention. I respect others and I hope others respect me. I understand that the crowd wanted to see the whole match.”

Meanwhile, it comes after Serena Williams broke down in tears after being forced to pull out of the final of Canadian WTA tournament the Rogers Cup last month. The 23-time grand slam winner announced she was retiring due to a back injury, while competing against Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu in the final.

Speaking after the tournament, in a video shared on Twitter by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the tennis great told the crowd in between sobs: “Thank you guys. I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today, I tried, but I just couldn’t do it. Thanks to Jehovah for letting me come out here and Bianca you’re a great sports person, woman, and thanks for my team it’s been a tough year, but we’ll keep going.”

Meanwhile, in a press conference later that day, which was shared online, the tennis great spoke of her injury, saying: “It just got worse. My whole back completely spasmed to a point where I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t really move. I was just trying to figure out how do you play a match where you have no rotation.”