The differing receptions of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s similar celebratory gestures at the 2024 Paris Olympics have ignited a debate among tennis fans. Many have distinguished Alcaraz’s celebration from the perceived negative intent often associated with the Serb’s actions.
Djokovic has taken a significant step toward his elusive Olympic gold medal, securing a spot in the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. On his way to the last four, the Serbian star triumphed over his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, winning 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.
After securing a crucial break in the second set of his highly anticipated encounter against Nadal, the 24-time Grand Slam champion held his finger to his ear, seemingly indicating that he could no longer hear the passionate cheers from the Spaniard’s supporters.
Novak Djokovic faced harsh backlash for what was perceived as a “classless” gesture. In response, a supporter of the Serb shared a picture of Carlos Alcaraz urging the crowd to cheer using the same gesture during his 6-3, 7-6(7) win over Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
However, other fans argued that there was a significant difference between Carlos Alcaraz’s gesture, which was intended as a celebratory interaction with the crowd, and Djokovic’s action, which was perceived as a “bitter” attempt to “taunt” the audience.
Carlitos is beloved for his creative joyous play. Djoker bitterly bends his ear as a demand for more applause as he always feels he is a victim of hecklers. How a #1 champ remains so graceless, w/ a big chip on his shoulder- reinforcing why folks dislike him,”
said another.
Fans continued to distance Alcaraz’s celebration from the Serb’s, pointing out that while the Spaniard’s gesture was met with louder cheers, the 24-time Grand Slam champion typically provoked more boos