Whateley on Djokovic's statue "Novak is not loved here. He can be admired by for his achievements, but he's not loved."

Carax

Hall of Fame
Gerard Whateley, one of Australia's biggest sports journalist has weighed on the topic of Djokovic getting a statue at Melbourne park. He compared it with Nadal's situation in Paris:

"There’s a statue of Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros and it speaks to the love the Parisians have for Nadal, and that was enacted at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. It’s a Paris Games. Nadal is a Spaniard and he was featured like a hometown hero.

You walk into Roland Garros and there’s a beautiful silver statue of Nadal – because he is loved in that city.

Novak is not loved here. He can be admired for his achievements, but he’s not loved."

You can read the full article here:
https://sen.com.au/news/2025/01/28/fractious-australian-open-overshadowed-by-precious-prima-donnas

What do you guys think?
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
He was cheered more than Alcaraz in that quarter final match.

And what is all this crap that no one likes him?
Exactly. Djokovic can get huge pop but he needs to stop riling up crowds. Last 4 seasons he has gone out of his way to do everything in his power to get crowd against him.


Knowledgeable fans know it's in jest but it's not right. Don't play with the crowd.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Typical Aussie media behavior. Most are still mad he didn't take the jab and he is their enemy. Of course most were fans of Fedal anyway but since the vaccine situation, the media there has gone very dark when it comes to him.

Its just more coping nonsense, can't take away his records, so find another way to hate him.

This was Adelaide 2023, the very first event after coming back to Australia.

 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
Its just more coping nonsense, can't take away his records, so find another way to hate him.

This was Adelaide 2023, the very first event after coming back to Australia.

I mean, look at the overflow crowd at his 2023 AO final. It set records for the biggest overflow crowd ever. No one likes him though. I don't even understand people's focus on who likes who anyway, as if that makes what you achieved on the court worth more or worth less. In fact, I never understood it.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
I mean, look at the overflow crowd at his 2023 AO final. It set records for the biggest overflow crowd ever. No one likes him though. I don't even understand people's focus on who likes who anyway, as if that makes what you achieved on the court worth more or worth less. In fact, I never understood it.

Because you cannot take away his actual achievements.

He is plenty popular.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
They're more vocal. Anyone that's been to a Djokovic match knows this.

Nah, open your eyes and look at the crowd, and you can see how many were cheering him, and no, they weren't all Serbians.

Your agenda is lame.
 

RF-18

Talk Tennis Guru
Nobody likes your guy.

Of course he's not loved when he's achieved things through no competition and faking injuries.

20230911-123040.gif
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
Because you cannot take away his actual achievements.

He is plenty popular.
His problem is he opened himself up for booing when he kept on riling crowd over the years. For them it's acceptable because he does the same.



Djokovic has normalized and asked crowd to boo him louder in the past.


You can't do this and lose. When he loses they are going to attack him back.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
Of course. Hilarious though some act there are some other reasons. All you need is that gif and it's end of discussion. Don't take the bait.
Of course. Hilarious though some act there are some other reasons. All you need is that gif and it's end of discussion. Don't take the bait.
Like I said there are some losers who are sad their gods got passed. They may even be on this thread I am not sure as I ignore the miscreants.

But we also should introspect. He did a lot of things to rile up the crowd over long time.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Of course. Hilarious though some act there are some other reasons. All you need is that gif and it's end of discussion. Don't take the bait.

Trying to find moral explanation for why they are angry with him....when we know its his trophy cabinet that is causing so much anguish.
 

jm1972

Semi-Pro
Trying to find moral explanation for why they are angry with him....when we know its his trophy cabinet that is causing so much anguish.

Keep telling yourself that.

This is a guy that accused the Australian government of poisoning him only 2 weeks ago. Do you realize how insane that was?

And you think he's not popular in Australia because everyone is a Fedal fan???? :-D
 

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
Trying to find moral explanation for why they are angry with him....when we know its his trophy cabinet that is causing so much anguish.
Exhibit A right below you. Dude is hurting, lol. That trophy cabinet is the all time discussion ender and they can't take it.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Keep telling yourself that.

This is a guy that accused the Australian government of poisoning him only 2 weeks ago. Do you realize how insane that was?

And you think he's not popular in Australia because everyone is a Fedal fan???? :-D

I don't need to keep telling myself that, i see the complaining on a daily basis. And those got louder and louder the moment he became a threat to the records, and even more when it was clear he was walking with it all. But you keep your hate going, you're a Nadal fan, right?

Again, what makes you think he is not popular? Were you hiding under a rock, when he beat, the supposed most popular player on tour, Alcaraz just a few days ago and was cheered more?
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster

He does this all the time and fans know they will always get reaction from him.


The more he has done it the more he will have people saying it's ok to do this.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
Only achievements are essential in modern world. If you have shaky morals it's completely fine. We are in 2024. Not 20th century.
 

Carax

Hall of Fame
He was cheered more than Alcaraz in that quarter final match.

And what is all this crap that no one likes him?
I think that Whateley is talking about Melbourne specifically. Djokovic has a ton of fans around the world and most definitely in Melbourne as well, but he might be more polarizing in that particular city than Nadal is in Paris.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
I mean, its only sport, right? Someone are angered to point, you think Novak ran over their dog.
Maybe some miscreants killed their own pets in anger as nole surpassed fedal. It is possible. They are that deranged. I see it on this site and in some others.

Some have even used djokovic name in their username.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
I think that Whateley is talking about Melbourne specifically. Djokovic has a ton of fans around the world and most definitely in Melbourne as well, but he might be more polarizing in that particular city than Nadal is in Paris.

Then why was he cheered more in that quarter final? Isn't Alcaraz the new popular one?

I never ever said he was more popular than Federer and Nadal, but the lame statement that he is not popular is just a blatant lie. His fanbase is massive.
 

TennisBro

Hall of Fame

"Novak is not loved here. He can be admired by for his achievements, but he's not loved."​

Sure not loved but f***ed by journalists and government officials; more loved than f****ed by the tennis community though. The booing's just as Aussie COVID; it's contagious, especially with the hate jabs.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Maybe some miscreants killed their own pets in anger as nole surpassed fedal. It is possible. They are that deranged. I see it on this site and in some others.

Some have even used djokovic name in their username.

I seriously hope not.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
I think that Whateley is talking about Melbourne specifically. Djokovic has a ton of fans around the world and most definitely in Melbourne as well, but he might be more polarizing in that particular city than Nadal is in Paris.
Yes he is more polarizing is correct way to say.

I think this is fine. The world is very polarized today. And Djokovic is part of it.
 

Carax

Hall of Fame
Then why was he cheered more in that quarter final? Isn't Alcaraz the new popular one?

I never ever said he was more popular than Federer and Nadal, but the lame statement that he is not popular is just a blatant lie. His fanbase is massive.
Yes, he was cheered more in that match, but I don't know if I would extrapolate that to how the city would feel in terms of a statue. And I 100% agree that his fanbase is massive as well btw.

And I only brought up the Nadal-Paris situation because the article is comparing it to the Djokovic-Melbourne relationship.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
The one who deserves boos is actually zverev lol


Djokovic was very bad playing on a leg and with tear in thigh. And he still almost won a set. Zverev is pretty clueless berdych like player.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Yes, he was cheered more in that match, but I don't know if I would extrapolate that to how the city would feel in terms of a statue. And I 100% agree that his fanbase is massive as well btw.

And I only brought up the Nadal-Paris situation because the article is comparing it to the Djokovic-Melbourne relationship.

Well honestly, the way everyone barring a few drunk idiots, responded to him pretty well when returned in 2023 was positive. That event told me that a lot of it is overblown and hogwash, he was treated well.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
Kurt Angle asking crowd to chant You Suck



Kurt Angle getting angry at chant You Suck



Djokovic has flip flopped between heel and face run in span of 2 days lol between alcaraz and zverev match

He is very polarizing anti hero. He is not going to be universally loved at all. And that is fine.
 

roysid

Legend
I think local Australians can answer this more accurately. During his matches, its occupied by Serbian origins , his fans and neutral fans. So support would be there in court,

BUt what about general public. Popular, unpopular, people dont care ??
 
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