"You guys can't touch me": Novak Djokovic sends a message to his hecklers at Wimbledon

👉 WATCH: Novak Djokovic's full on-court interview ⤴️

Novak Djokovic has always had a love-hate relationship with tennis fans, and that dynamic won’t change anytime soon, after his post-match interview Monday at Wimbledon.

The Serbian had just defeated the dangerous No. 15 seed Holger Rune in three convincing, undramatic sets. But Djokovic brought drama to the fore afterward, when he was asked about the crowd being “very into this match.”

When the on-court interviewer noted that Rune had plenty of support, Djokovic, who felt he was the target of boos—a word that sounds a bit like the Dane’s last name—pounced on the opportunity like a short forehand.

“To all the fans that have respect and stayed here tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart,” Djokovic began. “And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the players, in this case me, have a goooooooooooood night.”

The camera panned away from Djokovic, the produced perhaps aghast at the lack of decorum on venerable Centre Court. But Djokovic wasn’t done.

“Goooooooooooood night, Goooooooooooood night!” the 37-year-old added for emphasis. “Very good night. Yup.”

If you thought getting that out of Djokovic’s system would restore order, however, think again. The interviewer put forth the hypothesis that the crowd was “just commenting on Rune” and that “they weren’t disrespecting you.”

“They were,” shot back Djokovic like a reflex volley. “They were. They were. I don’t accept it.”

At this point, some boos were audible from the stands. But like a great wrestling heel, Djokovic wouldn’t let the subject go.

“I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse to also boo,” said Djokovic, getting a little flustered. “Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years, so trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s OK. I focus on the respectful people, who have respect, and pay the ticket to come and watch tonight, and love tennis and appreciate the effort the players put in here.”

With cheers sounding through the indoor arena, Djokovic had one last thing to say before trying to end the exchange:

I’ve played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can’t touch me.

Somewhere, Daniil Medvedev was surely smiling proudly. Nick Kyrgios was tweeting with a laugh.

And maybe even Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known as MJF in All Elite Wrestling, was applauding Djokovic’s work on the mic. The controversial MJF’s catch phrase, by the way?

I’m better than you, and you know it.