NEW YORK — Let’s get something straight: The fans weren’t booing Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open Tuesday night. But they weren’t cheering him on either.
Think about how strange this is. As Djokovic stands at the precipice of history — as he attempts to win a record 21st Grand Slam singles title and complete a rare calendar Slam — fans were chanting "Ruuuune" as they stretched out the surname of his 18-year-old opponent Holger Rune.
Usually, there’s nothing New Yorkers love more than a winner. We love being the biggest and the best. We love celebrating greatness. Yet, when one of the greatest players of our time — if not the greatest player of our time — has a chance to rewrite the record books right in front of us, we find ourselves cheering for him to be knocked off in the first round by an unknown teenager.
