Recap the awkward exchanges between the players and the media at the Australian Open

When you’ve just lost a big match, the last thing you want to do is talk to the media. However, while it is painful for the players, it does produce some of the best one liners and plenty of bizarre exchanges.

Interviews, interviews and more interviews.

Outside of actually playing tennis, speaking to the hundreds of media members at Melbourne Park is usually the order of the day for most players at the Australian Open.

While some players let the unforced errors flow on the court, there have been more than a few clangers made in the press box over the past two weeks.

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From eyebrow raising exchanges to missed matches and coffee requests, check out the bizarre, awkward and comical exchanges between players and the media at the Australian Open.

‘YOU SHOULDN’T GET DEPRESSED’

When your Australian Open dreams have just been shattered in brutal fashion, it is hard to put a smile on your dial.

However, so distraught was Stefanos Tsitsipas after his beat-down at the hands of Rafael Nadal, one member of the press took it upon himself to cheer up the Greek Freak.

Question: I saw Roger Federer beating Pete Sampras in 2001. Everybody thought he was going to win the tournament or could possibly win the tournament. Then he lost to Tim Henman.

TSITSIPAS: Which round?

Question: He won in the last 16 and he lost in the quarters. Then you know what Federer did afterwards. You shouldn’t get depressed.

TSITSIPAS: I agree with you. I agree with you. But I don’t know, I’m just trying to think how Federer beat him so … Similar game style like me. I’m trying to understand. I mean, I don’t want to lose to Rafa 10 times.

‘DID ANYONE WATCH THE MATCH?’

The problem with day one at the Australian Open is that there are 128 matches happening across 12 hours. So it is next to impossible to watch everyone.

Unfortunately for American Sloane Stephens, it became clear that quite a few members of the press missed her first-round clash when questions about her coach came up.

Question: So is Sly Black (her coach) here with you?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Did you watch the match?

Question: Sorry, I was watching another one I had to watch. Sorry.

SLOANE STEPHENS: Did anyone watch the match?

‘PLEASE, TWITTER, LET ME BACK IN’

Post-match press conferences are the perfect time for athletes to get a message across.

For Canadian Denis Shapovalov, he took the chance to spread the word about something very important to him — getting his Twitter account back.

Question: I noticed you deleted Twitter. I was interested why you made that move.

DENIS SHAPOVALOV: I honestly didn’t. I’m just having some issues getting it back up running. There’s some issues with my birth date and stuff. I’m actually just trying to figure that out right now. They don’t want to let me back in. Please, Twitter, let me back in.

While his tournament ended at the hands of Novak Djokovic, Shapovalov’s trip to Melbourne was still a success. His Twitter account is back in business.

WHERE HAS EVERYONE GONE?

When any of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Ash Barty or Novak Djokovic speak at Melbourne Park — it is standing room only in the media room.

But the same level of interest doesn’t extend to everyone.

Spare a thought for Englishman Dan Evans, who was left hanging by his home media after his win over Tatsuma Ito.

Question: The rest of the British press send their congratulations, but they have to dash out.

DANIEL EVANS: Decent.

‘CAN WE GET TOGETHER FOR A COFFEE?’

Press conferences at the Open can go for as long as 15 minutes. So there is plenty of opportunity to ask whatever question you feel like.

However, we were a little surprised when one journalist used the opportunity to try and set up a coffee date with Canadian serving machine Milos Raonic.

Question: You had a day off yesterday, right?

MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Question: If you do the same tomorrow, can we get together for a coffee?

MILOS RAONIC: Just for that reason, I will not take a day off tomorrow. I will be on the court for five hours.

(NO RESPONSE)

Maria Sharapova is known as the ice-queen. And this was never more evident than after her loss to Australian star Ash Barty.

Sharapova was quizzed on her tactics during the match, which saw her criticised for a poorly timed bathroom break.

However, if you thought the crowd reaction was intense, try being the journalist on the end of this exchange.

Question: What did you make of the kind of crowd’s reaction to you? They kind of booed you when you came back after the toilet break and cheered for the time violation. Did you think they were a bit unfair to you? Did it affect you at all?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: What do you want me to say to that question?

Question: I don’t know. Just the truth, I guess.

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think that’s a silly question to ask.

Question: Did it affect you, though?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: (No response).

‘THANKS, DYLAN. CHEERS’

Things can sometimes get a little hairy during commentary. Just ask Dylan Alcott.

The wheelchair singles and doubles champion and Channel 9’s sideline reporter used his power on the microphone to drop his friend Alex Bolt in the deep end, revealing he had shaved his legs especially for his clash with Alexander Zverev.

Bolt wasn’t exactly rapt to be talking about it later that night.

Question: Dylan Alcott was on commentary for your match. You told him that you shaved your legs before the match because you were going to be on TV.

ALEX BOLT: Yes, I shaved my legs, not because I was playing on TV, but, yeah. Thanks, Dylan. Cheers.

Question: Why?

ALEX BOLT: Just because I have my ankles taped, so I don’t want to pull some hairs out.

Question: You appreciate him sharing that?

ALEX BOLT: Yeah, thanks.

‘THIS BLOKE DOES NOT STOP’

After his first-round exit at the hands of Milos Raonic, Nick Kyrgios walked into a packed press conference, with a massive list of questions greeting him.

The only trouble was, he didn’t want to answer the one every journalist was hanging out for.

That didn’t stop one reporter from giving it everything he had to try and get to the bottom of the Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt feud.

Question: Is there a rift between you and Lleyton Hewitt?

NICK KYRGIOS: Not really.

Question: Not really?

NICK KYRGIOS: Is there an echo in here?

Question: Do you support Lleyton as captain going forward?

NICK KYRGIOS: This bloke does not stop.

‘YOU WANT ME TO LET YOU GO, DON’T YOU?’

When you’ve just spent more than two hours playing in the scorching heat on Rod Laver Arena, the last thing you really want to do is hang around and answer questions.

That was the approach from Japanese star Naomi Osaka, who made it clear she’d had enough following her quarterfinal win over Elina Svitolina.

Question: Quick thought on Serena or Karolina. What lies ahead next in your thoughts on that match coming up next?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I played them both, and they’re both very great players. Sorry. I know that it’s going to be tough no matter who I play. Honestly, I’m just trying to go inside because it’s a little bit hot right now.

Question: You want me to let you go, don’t you?

NAOMI OSAKA: Yeah, I’m sorry.

‘SINCE I GUESS MY NEXT OPPONENT IS WATCHING …’

It doesn’t matter how tired you are. The key is to never let your opponent know how you’re feeling.

Novak Djokovic took that to hilarious levels after his fourth-round win against rising star Daniil Medvedev.

A clearly fatigued Djokovic answered some questions post-game and he didn’t miss a chance to play some mind games with his next opponent.

Asked how he was feeling, the Serbian superstar said: “Since I guess my next opponent is watching, I’m feeling fantastic. I have never felt fresher in my life.”

However, he was a little less pleased when he found out who he would be playing — Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

“Thanks for the great news,” he said. “I was hoping you were going to say the other guy won but … Well done Kei, amazing.”

‘WHY WERE YOU NAKED?’

It is the question we never thought we’d hear at Melbourne Park.

However, by the time it reached night 11, it was clear that anything goes.

Just ask Rafael Nadal, who had to answer this question from a reporter after his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Question: Why were you naked in front of John McEnroe? What were the circumstances there?

RAFAEL NADAL: Because I was on the toilet changing my clothes. Was very warm out there. That’s all.

Question: Were you surprised to see him?

RAFAEL NADAL: I heard that somebody was there, but I don’t have one hour to wait (for) him to go out. I had to change. That’s all.

For context, the topic of a naked Nadal near John McEnroe came up during the American’s on-court interview.

'I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU CARRIED IT ALL THIS WAY'

Channel 9's Tony Jones saved the most awkward interview for last, with his chat with newly-crowned champion Naomi Osaka slammed as "terrible" and "cringeworthy" on social media.

Jones started by telling Osaka, who was carrying the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, that he was "not sure how you carried it all this way".

As Osaka awkwardly searched for a response, he exclaimed “there’s the smile”.

“I’m always smiling,” the Japanese star said.

He then proceeded to ask Osaka how she planned to spend her $4.1 million prize cheque, declaring “we would love you to pump that back into the economy”, and was criticized on Twitter for his handling of a question regarding Osaka’s heritage.

“Your grandparents back at Japan and you left Japan as three and you still regard yourself as a Japanese player,” he said.

“It took a time for your grandparents that you and your sisters wanted to play tennis and they finally came on board.”

And the awkward questions didn't stop there, with a journalist in Osaka's post-match press conference continuing her unusual night.

REPORTER: “You’re 21. Most 21-year-olds around this time, a lot of them are going back to their second semester of college. They can’t rent a car without having to pay a surcharge. The frontal cortex of your brain hasn’t even grown yet.”

NAOMI OSAKA: “You’re using a lot of big words here.”