Novak Djokovic has once again been the source of controversy in Melbourne (Image: Getty)
Jessica Pegula has come out in defence of following his divisive comments at the . fans were split over the Serb’s suggestion that the sport needs to modernise and become more of an entertainment spectacle.
Djokovic – who will face fellow quarter-finalist on Tuesday – believes the sport could learn a lot from the NBA and NFL. The 24-time Grand Slam champion called on tennis organisers to think outside the box to attract young fans amid concerns around the sport’s viewership and popularity.
“Why not consider doing something between sets like the or the ? When there’s a timeout, they bring in dancers and this and that,” he told reporters on Friday. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that. Good dancers, you know, there for a few more minutes of break so I can relax and think about something else [smiles].”
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And Pegula – whose billionaire parents own NFL franchise the Buffalo Bills – sees some sense to Djokovic’s logic. The former world No1 often attracts controversy, but Pegula came to his defence.
“Tennis has always been a stuffy, arrogant sport,” said the American. “Back in the days before social media, you had so much more personality in tennis, probably because those things didn’t stay with you forever.
“I think that shows even when people think Novak [Djokovic] is the bad guy or Nick [Kyrgios] is the bad guy and things like that. I think fans like to assume they know and they put these people in those roles.”
Djokovic has reached the last eight in Melbourne despite some push-back from fans and the media. The 37-year-old – who was infamously ejected from the 2022 after flying to the tournament despite not having the mandatory vaccination against -19 – has encountered boos and jeers from some local fans Down Under.
Jessica Pegula believes Djokovic gets tarred with undue criticism (Image: Getty)
He recently in protest after Channel 9 News reporter Tony Jones made fun of both him and Serb fans during a TV segment. Jones has since , but the superstar may still be expecting a hostile reception in Tuesday’s quarter-final.
Pegula reached the end of her campaign after losing to Olga Danilovic in the third round. The 30-year-old – heiress to a family fortune estimated to be worth around £6.3billion ($7.7bn) – knows a thing or two about American sports entertainment given her dad, Terry, owns both the Bills and NHL outfit the Buffalo Sabres.
As such, she might be more motivated than most to see Djokovic’s ideas adopted in the interest of driving interest in tennis. Racket sports like Pickleball and padel have surged in popularity in recent years, with concerns tennis will suffer as a result.