Novak Djokovic spying allegations are on brand for tennis’s weirdest superstar

Perhaps aware that he will never be loved and adored like his long-time rivals Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, he characterises himself as the great disruptor, writes Jim White. No one likes him, and he doesn’t care

The man is a genuine weirdo (Getty)

One evening earlier this week, a member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team noticed someone paying a little too much attention to their man’s training session. There on the fringes of Wimbledon’s practice court was a middle-aged bloke blatantly filming what was going on.

More to the point, this was not just a passing member of the public. This was the father of the tournament’s number one seed Carlos Alcaraz. And Carlos Alcaraz Senior seemed to be busying himself recording the champion’s every move.

Cue Serbian outrage. Djokovic had already complained about the tradition of allowing the public access to the practice courts on Aorangi Park. He felt this was a wholly unnecessary invasion of his privacy, a privilege too far for the paying public. As if to prove his point, here was the relative of his principal rival spying on what he was up to. Djokovic and his team were furious.