Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 2, 2026
Picture credit score: TPN/Getty
Wimbledon—When he’s not preoccupied pushing opponents across the courtroom, Novak Djokovic is usually urgent buttons watching the game he’s dominated.
The Grand Slam king is a faithful tennis fan and has watched buddy and fellow GOAT Serena Williams’ comeback with nice curiosity.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has a message for Serena’s critics: Cool it on the criticism and benefit from the greatness.
“Individuals want to chill off a bit bit with judgment and criticism and every thing,” Djokovic stated. “Let’s simply benefit from the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the game.”
Taking part in her first professional singles match in additional than three years, 9 months, the 44-year-old Serena Williams bowed to Aussie Maya Joint 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 earlier than a packed Centre Courtroom crowd on Tuesday night time.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena has taken photographs from some critics first for taking a singles wild card within the first place and secondly for blowing off the obligatory post-match presser after her loss to Joint. Later, Williams’ long-time agent, Jill Smoller, stated Serena suffered a knee harm on the finish of the opening set, suggesting the harm was a main cause why the previous No. 1 left the grounds with out doing press.
Djokovic, who has endured his share of skeptics all through his lengthy profession, defended Williams after sweeping Stefanos Tsitsipas to achieve the Wimbledon third spherical final night time.
“Look, she hasn’t performed for years. She had two kids,” Djokovic advised the media. “I imply, individuals are used to once we speak about Serena, I imply, additionally in my case, some nice champions, individuals at all times
count on you to play at your greatest as a result of they’re used to seeing you dominate the game for a few years.
“She’s 44. I imply, she has two kids. Coming again, it’s regular that she nonetheless isn’t at her greatest when it comes to motion. She hasn’t performed a match, I imply, in so a few years.”
The 39-year-old celebrity stated it’s puzzling and disappointing that tennis touts itself as a sport for a lifetime but when a 40-something Williams desires to come back again some critics push again as a substitute of celebrating the return of an iconic champion.
“Her wanting to offer it a attempt to simply come again is an unimaginable reward for our sport. I believe individuals typically, I don’t know why they don’t respect that sufficient,” Djokovic stated. “They simply begin to speculate, decide or no matter.
“It’s like, Hey, guys, get pleasure from. You’ve the best ever to come back play for you, to deliver extra consideration to your sport.
“For me, I don’t perceive this sort of pondering and this sort of method by individuals and judgment. However individuals are individuals. That is one thing they’re going to do. I actually help Serena. At all times have. Hopefully she’s going to play extra.”
At Indian Wells in March, Djokovic accurately predicted Serena would comeback at Wimbledon.
Initially, there was hypothesis four-time Olympic gold-medal champion Serena’s long-term aim was to play the Los Angeles Olympic Video games and wrap her superb profession proper again within the metropolis the place she realized tennis on the cracked public park courts of Compton, California.
At Wimbledon, reigning gold-medal champion Djokovic stated he’s unsure what’s subsequent for Serena, however hopes she is going to play the US Open in August.
“Look, I stated it even earlier than the match began that what she’s doing is unimaginable, epic. I’ve at all times been a fan of Serena,” Djokovic stated. “I’m positive she wished and anticipated to at the least win one match or extra.
“Understanding how aggressive she is, the thoughts of a champion that she has, she’s not pleased with simply exhibiting up on the courtroom. She desires to win.
“I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be capable to see her extra. Let’s see. No one actually is aware of what’s going to occur, whether or not she’s wanting to play on Grand Slams perhaps. I assume that US Open is someplace the place she wish to play. I imply, taking part in in her house slam could be superb for her and for everybody else.”
