“I can tell you that pain-free tennis is the best tennis,” Novak Djokovic said after his exhibition match at Wimbledon. A week has not passed since that statement, and Novak Djokovic has once again garnered fans’ attention due to his meniscus injury issue! On the grass courts of Wimbledon, Djokovic is redefining his power and has already surpassed the first-round match. However, as he is focused on making a comeback at Wimbledon, Pam Shriver, a former American tennis pro’s remarks on the 24 Grand Slam champion’s injury did not sit right with fans. Siding with ‘Nole’, fans openly criticized Shriver for her commentary on-court.

Novak Djokovic’s 2024 season has been anything but smooth. Although he chose his tournaments quite selectively, only performing in seven so far, the 37-year-old player has yet to win a title this season. What added more to his unexpected list of obstacles was a knee injury that further troubled him during his French Open tournament. But like a champion, he overcame his challenge to make a massive comeback at Wimbledon, a place where he has established his dominance by winning seven titles already. And he might be on the right track!

While playing against Vit Kopriva, the former World No. 1 had little to no signs of discomfort from his injury. As a result, fans were delighted to see him play in his form. But Shriver, a 21 singles title winner in tennis, vocalized her candid thoughts on Djokovic’s injury struggles. An X video revealed, Shriver saying on the mic, “Novak Djokovic, with his meniscus surgery, that he says occurred what 25 days ago…” 

As soon as this video surfaced on social media, Djokovic fans fumed at the tennis broadcaster for hinting at questioning Djokovic’s reality of injury. Although, the debate about Djokovic being the G.O.A.T. of tennis still continues in the sport, doubts about his greatness at Wimbledon, and overcoming his injuries are not on fans’ minds! And they have made it clear through their support for the Serbian tennis star and criticizing Shriver’s comments.

Fans react with with shock after Shriver’s “bold” statement on Novak Djokovic’s injuries

One fan, overwhelmed with emotions, wrote on X, “These butthurt people. Shame on Pam.” However, the scenario was quite the opposite during the Australian Open earlier this season. Shriver, who had immense faith in Djokovic’s prowess, said, “How can you not pick the guy who has won 10 Australian Opens and came within one match of winning all four majors last year? Djokovic is the favorite..” From standing up for Djokovic to indirectly questioning Djokovic’s honesty about injury is a real jump in opinions.

Another fan sarcastically wrote, “Her pain is entertaining, she must have been suffering so much all these years with Nole’s 24 slams and all ATP trophies and all those weeks at #1. Keep seething Shriver.” Djokovic’s relentless pursuit of excellence is no secret to anyone. After all, he has already made a record by staying at the top for 428 weeks! However, the month of June has been a roller coaster ride for the Serbian. After he hurt his knee during the fourth round at the French Open, Djokovic had to go through surgery and rehabilitation before testing his form at an exhibition match at Wimbledon. Talking about his struggles, the former World No. 1 said, “It’s been an intense three week after surgery, spending a lot of hours rehabbing.”

However, Djokovic is finally back on the grass courts, as he wanted to give himself a “chance in London”. He also revealed that he brought his surgeon along with him as a measure of precaution as well. Fans who supported him throughout this journey found Shriver’s remarks filled with “hate.” One fan, describing the exact timeline of Djokovic’s injury and comparing it to Taylor Fritz’s similar struggle, wrote, “27 days ago, to be exact. 6 more days than when Taylor Fritz played his first Wimbledon match after meniscus surgery in 2021. And yes, of course they are willing to go this low, they have no self-control. They ooze hate.”

Surprisingly, this is not the first time that Novak Djokovic’s injury has raised questions. In 2008, Andy Roddick accused Djokovic of faking his 16 injuries back in the day. Although that created a rift between the two, it ended with their reconciliation later on that year. However, it seems he is not the only one raising questions on the 98 singles title winner. Shriver is probably hinting at the same. Fans who stayed in touch with Djokovic’s recovery process through the Serbinator’s frequent Instagram posts are therefore enraged at this “bold” statement of Shriver. “He says occurred…” – Beyond insulting… the innuendo is so bold,” wrote one fan.

Another fan pointed out, “Not everyone can respect greatness. Mediocrity in face of greatness ends up making statements like this Shriver mam.” Nevertheless, Novak Djokovic has proved once again why fans admire him for his “greatness” on-court. After all, the 37-year-old is now one step closer to winning an eighth title at Wimbledon and adding to his list of achievements. His motto is clear. “I’m trying to take it day by day and see how far it goes.”

As he continues with his game, Novak Djokovic has proved that he is not the one to succumb to an injury and give up his dreams in tennis!