World all have same joke as seagulls stop Tsitsipas Vs Thompson

Aussie star Jordan Thompson may live to regret a viral outburst at the Australian Open after fans all scrambled to make the same joke.

Melbourne Park has a seagull problem. Photo: Channel 9

Aussie tennis star Jordan Thompson may need to check what he says on court as his words came back to bite him in his second round loss to Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Despite a sprited performance, Thompson ultimately went down in four sets as Tsitsipas claimed a hard-fought 4-6 7-6 6-2 7-6 win to move into the third round.

A frustrated Thompson was about to go down two sets to one in his clash with the Greek superstar as Tsitsipas was serving for the third set.

Up 30-15, Tsitsipas had gone long on his first serve but just as he was about to send down the second, a seagull flew into the stadium, coming in just above the court.

The crowd gasped and laughed as the seagull did laps of Margaret Court Arena.

It’s not the first time this has happened this Australian Open with two matches on Monday halted when the seagulls interrupted play.

A bird landed on the court during the clash between Felix Auger-Aliassime and needed a ballkid to chase it away.

But it wasn’t done as it circled back around.

The seagull must have liked the attention, as it then appeared on court 3 for match point of the clash between Jan-Lennard Struff and Rinky Hijikata.

The difference at the Thompson-Tsitsipas clash was that the bird was not alone as another swooped into the stadium.

The players watched the seagulls circle overhead before disappearing and allowing the game to continue.

Melbourne Park has a seagull problem. Photo: Channel 9

The seagull was loving the attention. Photo: Channel 9

The hilarious stoppage left fans all making the same joke, circling back to an outburst from the first round from the Aussie World No. 47.

Thompson blasted the Australian Open as “the wokest tournament ever” over a new rule which allowed fans to come and go as they please.

In the past, fans have had to stay seated and aren’t allowed to enter the stadium until the change of ends — this year, the Australian Open has scrapped the rule.

Thompson wasn’t alone in criticising the decision, but fans were quick to roast his “woke” outburst.

One fan wrote: “a seagull just flew into the stadium while jordan thompson was playing. Because of Woke. Seagulls are Now Woke.”

Radio broadcaster Chris Coleman tweeted: “Has Jordan Thompson complained about the wokest seagulls in the world yet?”

Triple M’s Rudi Edsall wrote: “Now the Melbourne seagulls are being woke, can’t escape it ffs.”

Western Bulldogs recruiter Dan Fisher commented: “The seagull is woke.”

i just know jordan thompson called that bird woke #AusOpen

— tony (@IceCreamTony) January 17, 2024

Jordan Thompson will call those seagulls woke #AO2024

— Ritesh Varma (@riteshvarma93) January 17, 2024

"wokest seagulls ever" - jordan thompson

— dadmiral hackett (rennemiles.bsky.social) (@rennemiles) January 17, 2024

Thompson was as enthralled as the rest of the stadium. Photo: Channel 9

Thompson said he had “no idea” about the rule change, which took him by surprise.

“How many years have we been playing tennis, and then all of a sudden they spring on us that they can come in between not even a sit-down. So it just disrupts everyone’s rhythm,” he said.

“I mean, if someone is walking at the back and you are throwing the ball toss up, it’s impossible to see it because you have a moving person behind it.

“We are out there working, that’s our job, we’re tennis players. We don’t come in and storm into an office while someone is in a meeting.

“Like someone is just barging through the door, making a nuisance. Even though it doesn’t seem that way, but it is. It’s very off-putting.”

But while fans were focused on the “woke” of it all, they would be forgiven for missing a great act of sportsmanship from Thompson.

Great stuff from Jordan Thompson. Photo: Channel 9

In commentary on Stan Sport, the commentator explained that in the Thiem-Aliassime match on Monday, the chair umpire ruled a first serve after it had taken too long between first and second serves due to the bird interruption.

Aussie legend Mark Philippoussis said Thompson would “go absolutely ballistic” if Tsitsipas was given a first serve.

But Thompson surprised the commentary booth when he signalled to the umpire that it should be first serve.

“Oh Jordan’s given first serve — good for you Jordan,” Philippoussis said.

It was a move that was the right call, but also backfired as Tsitsipas fired down an ace before Thompson shanked a forehand wide to drop behind two sets to one.

Tsitsipas will now play Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the third round on Saturday.

Originally published as World all have same joke as seagulls stop Tsitsipas Vs Thompson