‘Disrespectful’: US Open crowd slammed for booing Djokovic after injury-forced retirement

Fans at the US Open have been branded “disrespectful” after they booed defending champion Novak Djokovic as he was forced to quit his fourth-round match against Swiss Stan Wawrinka due to a shoulder injury.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner, who had been struggling with the injury throughout the tournament, was forced to end his US Open campaign in the third set, having lost the opening two sets to Swiss 23rd seed Wawrinka.

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The 32-year-old Serb, who won Wimbledon two months ago, suffered injury issues in his opening matches at Flushing Meadows but managed to reach the fourth round.

However, while Wawrinka was in blistering form, Djokovic looked out of sorts as he struggled with a left shoulder injury.

Djokovic lost the opening two sets 4-6, 5-7 and was down 1-2 in the third when he called time on the match.

While the three-time US Open winner was leaving Arthur Ashe Stadium, he was booed by spectators venting their dissatisfaction with his decision to quit the match.

Djokovic largely ignored the jeers but did give the crowd a sarcastic thumbs -up his way to the locker room.

The reaction from fans in New York was seen as disrespectful by many tennis pundits, and also caused a stir on social media with many tennis lovers condemning the crowd for their classless behavior.

“I don't understand the controversy, it's his job to play tennis so of course he would concede the match to avoid making his injury worse,” one user wrote.

“I thought that #Wimbledon crowd is the worst, boy was i wrong. Imagine having to retire due to pain at the Grand Slam and after everything you brought to tennis and still will, you are being booed,” another person added.

 “Novak Djokovic played beautifuly and did his best, he faced a hater while practicing and now being booed off court? Disrespectful spectators,” one more comment read.

However, there were those who spoke out in defense of the crowd’s behavior, insisting that Djokovic’s withdrawal was a weak move.

“He could have kept playing. He wanted to stop because he was simply getting beat,” a tennis fan shared his view on Twitter.

“That makes 6 grand slam matches Djokovic has retired from. Roger Federer has never retired from a match in his entire career,” another person commented. 

“Funny, Novak only retires when he is losing, happens all the time, he just sulks and blames injury to take credit away from opponent and give himself excuse,” one more user added.

Wawrinka will next face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the last eight, after the Russian overcame Germany’s Dominik Koepfer in a game in which he again faced a battle of his own with fans at Flushing Meadows.