Share

'Djokovic gave up' - McEnroe blasts Serb

Paris - US tennis legend John McEnroe accused Novak Djokovic of giving up in his stunning French Open exit at the hands of Dominic Thiem on Wednesday.

Defending champion Djokovic collapsed to a meek 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-0 loss to Thiem in what was his earliest exit at Roland Garros in seven years.

Defeat also meant that just 12 months after holding all four Grand Slam titles, the 30-year-old was left fighting to prove he is still a relevant force in the sport.

"I don't remember seeing a time in the last six to eight years when Novak mailed it in," seven-time major winner McEnroe told the BBC.

"He basically gave up."

Wednesday's loss was just the ninth time that Djokovic had suffered a 6-0 'bagel' set and first at a Slam since facing France's Gael Monfils at the US Open in 2005 when he was still a teenager.

"It looked in the third set like he just didn't want to be out there, couldn't compete any more, and that's shocking for a guy that's won as much as he has and prides himself on competition," added McEnroe.

"It just shows you everyone's human."

McEnroe added: "If you had told me a year ago, when he was the only guy since Rod Laver holding all four Slams that this is what we'd be talking about now, I'd have told you you were nuts."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
55% - 12 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
45% - 10 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE