Novak Djokovic told a group of drumming fans of the Great Britain team to “shut up” as they tried to drown out his post-match interview after Serbia’s Davis Cup quarterfinal win on Thursday.
The world No. 1 had just beaten Cameron Norrie in straight sets – 6-4 6-4 – to secure Serbia’s 2-0 victory, but Djokovic was left angry after fans continued to drum through his answers to on-court questions.
“Learn how to respect players, learn how to behave yourself,” Djokovic said, pointing into the crowd. “No, you shut up, you be quiet.
“We’re going to have a good sleep tonight; keep going, keep going,” added Djokovic, who simply outclassed his opponent in Malaga, Spain
The Serb is looking to cap off a remarkable season, in which he won three out of the four grand slams – only being beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final at Wimbledon – by leading his country to its first Davis Cup title in 13 years.
The 36-year-old Djokovic also won a record seventh title at the ATP Finals earlier this month, beating Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final.
Serbia will now play Italy in the semifinals of the Davis Cup on Saturday.
Despite his dominant performance on Thursday, the 24-time grand slam champion admitted to feeling tired after a hectic year on tour, and said he had grown frustrated by fans trying to annoy him during the match.
“That’s disrespect but again that’s something I have to be prepared for in a Davis Cup,” the 36-year-old Djokovic told reporters, speaking about the vocal fans.
“It’s normal that sometimes fans step over the line. In the heat of the moment, you react too.
“They can do whatever they want but I’m going to respond to that […] they were trying to annoy me the entire match, so yeah, we had a little bit of a chat in the end.”
Leon Smith, GB’s Davis Cup captain, said there had been “zero animosity” between the two teams, adding that noisy crowds provided a better atmosphere for Davis Cup fixtures.