Djokovic is bidding to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the grand slam on the calendar, but said he thought he heard the boos of the crowd as he survived a scare to win 6-1 6- 7 6-2 6-1.
“I didn’t know what they were singing honestly. I thought they were booing,” he told reporters after the match.
“I don’t know, it wasn’t the perfect environment to tell you that. But I’ve been in these particular atmospheres before, so I knew how to handle it.
“I mean, obviously you always want to have crowds behind you, but it’s not always possible.
“That’s all I can say. I mean, I don’t know. I’ve focused on myself and what I have to do. I guess I just have to see how it feels on the track and try to keep it together. That’s all I can do. “
It is unclear whether the fans booed the Serb or whether they sang “Rune” in support of their Danish opponent.
Rune himself was confused by what he initially thought was booing, but said he was happy when he realized that many only encouraged the lowly person.
“In fact, at one point, they were cheering me on; at another time, they were booing me. I was wondering, ‘What’s going on?'” He told reporters.
“All of a sudden, after the game I heard them say ‘Rune.’ When I heard that, I was happy because I didn’t understand it in the game. “.
‘I’m very excited’
Djokovic has already won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this year and only needs one win in the last round of the year to complete the epic feat.
Winning the US Open would also bring the 34-year-old to 21 major titles, surpassing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have 20 majors each.
“Making history in this sport is of the utmost importance to me, especially at this stage of my career. And playing and trying to win so many big slams is the top priority in my tennis season.”
He said he had “run out of gas” at the Summer Olympics, but that he would rarely return after a break.
“Pressure is a privilege. I have grown and developed throughout my career to handle pressure the right way,” he added. “But nothing is guaranteed.
“I like to have adversity. I like to have expectations and pressure and, you know, it kind of brings out the best in me. So, yes, hopefully, I can have a fantastic couple of weeks.”