Novak Djokovic did not complete his on-court interview after winning his fourth-round match.
Novak Djokovic did not do his regular interview and walked away
Novak Djokovic refused to give his usual on-court interview after booking his spot in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The world No. 7 defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, becoming agitated when some unruly fans called out while he served and tried to disturb him.
He briefly addressed the crowd instead of speaking with Jim Courier before walking off with his bags.
Djokovic booked a spot in his 15th Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday, getting past Lehecka mostly with ease.
The 10-time champion at Melbourne Park stormed through the first two sets before the Czech star raised his level in the third set. The fans were also keen to see more tennis and, as it grew later into the evening, some even tried to throw Djokovic off his game.
Novak Djokovic wasn’t happy when some fans tried to throw him off while he served
The umpire had to tell the crowd off when some started yelling out when Djokovic was serving as the 37-year-old shook his head in disbelief. He eventually got the job done 6-3 6-4 7-6(4).
Afterwards, the seventh seed refused to complete his usual on-court interview with Jim Courier. He joined Courier in the centre of the court and could be seen chatting with the player-turned-pundit before grabbing the microphone himself.
“Thank you very much for being here tonight, I appreciate your presence and support and I will see you in the next round,” Djokovic told the fans before walking off with his bags on his back as a few boos rang out.
The 24-time Major winner did stay behind to sign some fans’ memorabilia before completing a post-match TV interview with Barbara Schett for Eurosport, though he wasn’t asked why he refused to speak properly on the court.
Courier and Schett then appeared on Eurosport together and the American jokingly explained why he thought Djokovic didn’t want to chat with him on Rod Laver Arena.
“It’s a very simple thing, he’s been watching my interviews here the last couple of days, he’s like, ‘Look, I’ve got to get to the pro. I’m skipping you, I’m going to Babsi [Schett]’,” Courier laughed.
“He just went straight to Babsi because he knows he needs to go where the good stuff is. Maybe we’ll learn more in his press conference.”
Cameras showed Djokovic walking through the tunnels underneath Rod Laver Arena before meeting tournament director Craig Tiley for a chat.
The world No. 7 had previously thrown his support behind Danielle Collins when she taunted the centre court crowd after some cheered her mistakes when she beat Aussie qualifier Destanee Aiava in the second round.
News
Australian Open star breaks down in tears after being ‘rattled’ by late change
Kimberly Birrell was left in tears after her Australian Open singles campaign came to an abrupt end when she was beaten by Eva Lys in the first round of the tournament Kimberly Birrell breaks down in tears (Image: (Image: Australian Open…
Australian Open star pays price for making same Emma Raducanu error
Stefanos Tsitsipas was beaten in the first round of the Australian Open by Alex Michelsen and he believes ‘karma’ has hit him. Emma Raducanu’s doubles decision backfired at Wimbledon (Image: Getty Images) After pulling out of the doubles to concentrate on…
John McEnroe commentary questioned after having ‘zero clue’ about Australian Open player
Tennis legend John McEnroe was criticized for his Australian Open commentary performance last year after having ‘zero clue’ about one of the players. John McEnroe has been criticized for his poor preparation (Image: Getty) While he may still be one of…
Paula Badosa’s coach confesses ‘I provoke her’ as tennis star ‘gets angry’
Paula Badosa drew attention when she ranted towards her box at the Australian Open. Paula Badosa ranted towards her box and told her coach to play during her third-round match (Image: Getty) Paula Badosa’s coach made a surprising revelation ahead of…
Coco Gauff left ‘really sad’ as American runs into unexpected issue at Australian Open
Coco Gauff explained why she was sad after writing an unusual message on the camera after her match. Coco Gauff revealed that she couldn’t use TikTok despite being in Australia (Image: Getty) Coco Gauff said it was “really sad” to see TikTok…
Gael Monfils shows true colours in private chat with Australian Open conqueror Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton has shared what Gael Monfils is really like after their Australian Open fourth-round clash. The 38-year-old Frenchman was forced to retire from their match on Monday while trailing by two sets to one. Gael Monfils was forced to retire while playing…
End of content
No more pages to load