Novak Djokovic continues to grind the gears of sports fans.
First there was his complete lack of understanding of the coronavirus pandemic which saw him constantly break social distancing rules by throwing parties and hosting unsafe tennis tournaments.
And then there was the incident at the US Open where he struck a line judge in the face with a tennis ball (it looked accidental, but still).
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And since his arrival Down Under he's done nothing but complain about the compulsory 14-day quarantine for international players.
He even wrote a personal letter to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley demanding changes be made to the living standards in his Melbourne hotel room.
But incredibly, he's somehow managed to top all of that.
In a bid to get people back on his side, Djokovic has now penned an open letter to the Australian public in a bid to "clarify" the reasons for his demands.
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But, unsurprisingly, it's backfired massively.
The world number one, who was recently dubbed a "tool" by Aussie rival Nick Kyrgios, took to social media to clear things up.
"My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult and ungrateful," Djokovic said in a statement on Twitter.
"This couldn't be farther from the truth."
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"not every act is taken at its face value and at times when I see the aftermath of things, I do tend to ask myself if I should just sit back and enjoy the benefits instead of paying attention to other people's struggles. However, O always choose to do something and be of service despite the challenging consequences and misunderstandings.
"I genuinely care about my fellow players and I also understand very well how the world is run and who gets bigger and better and why. I've earned my privileges the hard way and for that reason, it is very difficult for me to be a mere onlooker knowing how much every help, gesture and good word mattered to me when I was small and insignificant in the world pecking order. Hence, I use my position of privilege to be of service as much as I can where and when needed."
What's that, Novak, Did you just say "earned your privileges"?
Oh yes, you really did say that.
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Whether it's just badly-worded or Djokovic is genuinely serious, making statements like that in an open letter to the public doesn't exactly paint you in a positive light.
But as you read on, the post gets even better with the Serbian star then claiming that the public is wrong to think of him as "ungrateful, weak and selfish".
He continued: "There were a few suggestions and ideas that I gathered from other players from our chat group and there was no harm intended to try and help.
"Things in the media escalated and there was a general impression that the players (including myself) are ungrateful, weak and selfish because of their unpleasant feelings in quarantine," he wrote.
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"I am very sorry that is has come to that because I do know how grateful many are."
As the top-seeded men's player at the Australian Open, Djokovic is tipped to go on and win the tournament.
But judging by the backlash he's been copping from fans in recent weeks, he'll probably be thankful in the long run that all of his games will be played in empty stadiums.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Tennis, Tennis news, Melbourne, Australian Open, Coronavirus, Novak Djokovic, Australia, Covid-19
