Novak Djokovic admitted he felt sorry for fans despite being booed by them following his retirement from the US Open.
Djokovic was booed by the fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium after deciding to retire from his match against Stan Wawrinka due to the shoulder injury which has been affecting him in recent weeks.
It was a harsh reaction to the three-time US Open champion, who was visibly disappointed to end his tournament in such fashion.
Djokovic had been reluctant to discuss in detail the severity of his problems but did tell Serbian media that the pain had been “unbearable”.
But speaking after the match, Djokovic insisted he was not offended by the reception he received and said the spectator were not at fault.
He said: “Look, I’m not being offended by, you know, mistreated by anybody.
“I don’t really, you know, pay too much attention on that.
“You know, I like to respect others. I hope that others can respect me and my decision.
“I’m sorry for the crowd. Obviously they came to see a full match, and just wasn’t to be. That’s all it is.
“I mean, a lot of people didn’t know what’s happening, so you cannot blame them. It is what it is.”
Djokovic revealed he was hopeful of playing in Tokyo later this month at the Rakuten Open.
But in the meantime, he says he will recover with his family back at home.
He said: “Obviously they are different roles that I have in my life, not just a tennis player.
“Obviously going back to the fatherhood now will definitely help kind of redirect my thoughts on something that is obviously far more important for me. And being a husband and father, having a family is the biggest thing.
“But right now obviously I’m in the midst of unfortunate situation, and I have to, you know, suffer the consequences of that. And as I said, I’m not the first nor the last one. Life goes on.”
