“Still Did Better Than Roddick on One Leg”: Novak Djokovic Lauded After Rivals Fail to Capitalize on His Reduced Tournament Appearances

Novak Djokovic has not lived up to his usual high standards in 2024. Not only has his performance dropped, but his appearances have also reduced noticeably. Still, the Serb has accomplished far more this season than many players have in the best years of their careers. It is something his supporters never hesitate to highlight to his critics, including a retired US Open champion.

Djokovic has played in only nine ATP events this year, three fewer than he did in 2023. Still, the 37-year-old advanced to the finals of the Wimbledon and the Shanghai Masters as well as the Australian Open semifinals. Besides, he was able to add an Olympic gold medal, the only item which was missing from his constantly growing trophy cabinet.

Despite a drop in season appearances, the Serb is still ranked sixth in the race to the ATP Finals 2024 tournament in Turin. He remains in the driver’s seat to secure an ticket to the year-ending event even after skipping the Paris Masters 2024 tournament.

This shows how his rivals failed to capitalize on his fewer appearances. Out of the top ten ranked players, his nine tournaments on the ATP Tour this season rank the lowest.

Only Alex de Minaur (No.9) and Grigor Dimitrov (No.10) have a chance of staging a surprise. Unless they have spectacular runs in Paris, no one can stop Djokovic from qualifying as one of the top eight-ranked players for the ATP Finals once again.

Djokovic’s fans do not miss opportunities like these to take a dig at his rivals. Pavvy G, a Novak superfan and a social media influencer, did just that. He tweeted:

“Djokovic has barely played this year and he is still the 6th best-performing ATP player of 2024!”

His tweet sparked a lot of reactions from Djokovic fans. However, one strange comment comparing the Serb to former World No.1 Andy Roddick gained a lot of attention.

Djokovic fans have not forgiven Roddick yet

It’s understandable that Djokovic fans have a disagreement with Roddick. Many believe that in his podcast, the retired American player showed a bias against Djokovic on a few occasions. Although the American has repeatedly refuted these claims, the Serb’s supporters continue to target him on social media.

One user responded to the most recent Pavvy G tweet by listing all of Djokovic’s achievements this year before taking a jab at Roddick.

“One of his worst years in recent memory and he still did better than Roddick on one leg when you add the Olympic gold,” the user wrote.

Their disagreement has been ongoing for some time. Roddick himself has engaged in arguments with a few of the users. And in the past, he even blocked some of Djokovic’s fans.

Although Roddick has praised Djokovic and appears to be ready to move past the controversy, it’s unclear when Djokovic fans will forgive him.