People should know by now that if you try to mess with Novak Djokovic, it usually doesn’t end well for you.
The Serbian tennis star faced Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday. He dispatched the Argentinian in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2), and now sits three match wins away from winning his record 25th Grand Slam title.
But before his match wrapped up, one fan tried to get inside the GOAT’s head.
As Djokovic began his pre-serve routine on match point, one fan yelled, “Get vaccinated, mate!” Naturally, this caught the attention of this great athlete, who walked over to the fan in a confrontational manner.
But Djokovic didn’t bother engaging in a war of words. Instead, he strolled back to the baseline and prepared to close out the match.
Which he did. On his first serve attempt after the taunt, he aced Etcheverry to vault himself into the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic is heckled by a spectator who shouts “GET VACCINATED” as he is about to serve for the match at the Australian Open…
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) January 20, 2024
His response?
He serves an ace and wins the match.pic.twitter.com/df7oVWadXV
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By now, you probably know that Djokovic got deported from Australia in 2022 because he didn’t succumb to Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. He was publicly shamed for his choice, mocked by his peers, and prevented from playing several more tournaments afterwards.
Through it all, Djokovic refused to get jabbed. And all he’s done since then is win nearly every tournament he’s played in and cemented himself as the greatest tennis player on the men’s side in history.
At every turn, he’s proved doubters wrong and redefined greatness in the sport. And he still makes time to silence morons like this who try to rattle him in big moments.
What a legend.
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