‘Come here and say it to my face’: Why Novak Djokovic turned on crowd
World number one Novak Djokovic wasn’t in the mood on Wednesday night as he took aim at a fan in the Aus Open stands.
Novak Djokovic has fired up at the Melbourne Park crowd late in his 6-3 4-6 7-6 6-3 second round win over Aussie Alexei Popyrin.
You could cut the tension with a knife on Rod Laver Arena as Djokovic led two sets to one after surviving four set points and winning a tie-breaker to get ahead of the Aussie.
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Djokovic was stretching out his wrist — which appeared to be bothering him during the United Cup — at 2-all, before he began jawing at a member of the crowd.
“Come down here and say that to my face, come and say it my face, come on, come on,” Djokovic said while gesturing to the patron, as you can see in the video above.
Speaking on Eurosport, Nick Kyrgios explained the drama.
“There’s always some jerk in the crowd who wouldn’t say something to Novak’s face if they were walking through a hallway together,” he said.
The commentators said the fan had not been kicked out of the stadium.
Speaking in the press conference, Djokovic opened up on the incident, without revealing what was said.
“You don’t want to know,” Djokovic said.
“There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side the other corner. I was tolerating it for most of the match.
“At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face. When you confront somebody, unfortunately for him, he didn’t have the courage to come down. That’s what I was asking him.
“If you have courage, if you’re such a tough man, tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let’s have a discussion about it.
“He was apologising from far away. That’s all it is.”
Djokovic battling his wrist injury — and the crowd — while also still seemingly struggling with his cold.
But the fan interaction was just what Djokovic needed as he rattled off the next three games to go ahead 5-2, including breaking Popyrin to love.
Four-time grand slam winner Jim Courier said on Channel 9 that at times the Serbian superstar just needed the battle to switch himself on.
“It is just uncanny how the late switch flicks on when someone or something in the stands irritates this man,” Courier said.
“He just goes into superhuman mode.
“When he gets mad he doesn’t get even, he pulls away. And Popyrin is struggling to win points since Novak confronted that fan.”
Djokovic even conceded it may have been what he needed, admitting he was “flat emotionally”.
“Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit and start to find the kind of intensity on the court that I needed to have all match,” the World No. 1 added.
Post-match, Djokovic paid tribute to the young Aussie, calling the third set, where the Serb saved four set points before eventually winning in a tie-break, as the turning point.
“He had quite an easy forehand and he missed it. I didn’t do anything special. I was lucky,” Djokovic said.
“He was the better player for a set and a half. The momentum shifted in the tie-break. I put one more ball into the court than he did.
“Credit to him for tactically coming out with the right game plan and serving big. He deserves a round of applause for his performance tonight.”
It was a huge day of action at the open with the likes of 17th seed, Frances Tiafoe, 22nd see Francisco Cerundolo and 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti bowing out in the men’s, while it was a bloodbath in the women’s.
25th seed Elise Mertens, 16th seed Caroline Garcia, 32nd seed Leylah Fernandez, sixth seed Ons Jabeur and eighth seed Maria Sakkari all bowed out for the Open.
It was also a tough night for the Aussies, as although Alex de Minaur and surprise packet Storm Hunter are through to the third round, valiant efforts from Popyrin, Chris O’Connell against 16th seed Ben Shelton and Jordan Thompson against Stefanos Tsitsipas fell just short in tight four-set heartbreakers.
Join us for day 5 from 11am Thursday.
11pm – One Aussie bows out, the other in a battle
Jordan Thompson’s incredibly gallant bid for a first ever Australian Open third round appearance is over.
The Aussie veteran staved off match points in the fourth set and had set points of his own, but ultimately fell 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Another local hope, Alexei Popyrin, has been facing an even bigger challenge against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
But the 24-year-old is producing some exceptional tennis, locked at one set apiece with the Serbian great.
Popyrin had four set points in the third set and couldn’t find a way through yet, with Djokovic fighting his way to 5-5 in a tense contest on Rod Laver Arena.
10pm – Popyrin battles back to level terms
It goes without saying that you need to take any opportunities presented against Novak Djokovic.
Alexei Popyrin was looking confident when he broke Djokovic and then held serve the first time around as he tried to fight back and level the match at one-set all.
“Little bit of swagger here for Popyrin,” commentator Brenton Speed said.
“That’s how you consolidate and hold to love in the second.”
“Will be interesting to see if he can stay cool and calm as his coach is wanting him to be,” Jim Courier added.
After a quick hold from the world No. 1, Popyrin had a chance to serve for the set at 5-3 before finding himself in a 0-40 hole and eventually being broken.
Popyrin then had two set points on Djokovic’s next service game and capitalised the second time around, igniting the crowd with a perfectly executed lob.
“That’s the wow moment he was looking for,” Speed screamed. “Popyrin levels things, breaks Djokovic again.”
9.20pm – Aussie duo facing huge challenges
Jordan Thompson raised hopes of an upset over No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas when he took the first set and forced a tie-break in the second.
But as the top players so often do, the Greek superstar steadied and hit back strongly, taking the tie-break and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the third set.
The 24-year-old Popyrin faces just about tennis’ most difficult task, beating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
Popyrin has had his moments early on, but 10-time Open champion Djokovic just broke serve to take a 5-3 lead in the opening set.
8.25pm – Aussie taking the fight to top 10 regular
Jordan Thompson made headlines earlier this week for his comment the Australian Open was the “wokest” tournament ever due to some rule changes.
He will make headlines for a very different reason if he can find a way past seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas at Margaret Court Arena.
Thompson, 29, has made the second round at the year’s opening grand slam four times without getting any further.
He took the first set 6-4 on Wednesday night and it’s 4-4 in a tight second.
7.30pm – Shelton’s hilarious interview after solid win
Brash American Ben Shelton knew he would have the crowd against him in his second-round clash with Aussie Chris O’Connell.
Shelton handled it well, withstanding a spirited effort from the Sydneysider to record a 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-5) victory.
And he had a hilarious response when asked about the crowd, specifically his mention of a particular Australian chant that still does the rounds and clearly haunts the 21-year-old, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals last year.
“Really happy to close that match out, it was a tough match today,” he said.
“That ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’ chant, I hear it when I sleep at night from last year and this year.
“But I love it how you support your guys and you make the atmosphere here really special.
“It’s just a fiery atmosphere whether they’re for you or against you and it makes things fun.”
While some fans love the “oi, oi, oi” chant, many find it cringe-worthy and lacking imagination.
5.30pm – Breakthrough Aussie gets some high-profile support
Up until this point, Storm Hunter’s biggest successes on the tennis court have come in doubles.
The 29-year-old boasts seven career titles, including a victory alongside Ash Barty in Adelaide two years ago, and is currently the world’s No. 1 ranked doubles player.
It’s a different story in singles, with Hunter a lowly 180th in the standings, but that number is sure to improve following her exploits this week.
Hunter had to get through three qualifying matches just to make the main draw and has since rattled off victories over former world No. 5 Sara Errani and German Laura Siegemund to reach the third round.
Wednesday’s 6-4 3-6 6-3 effort over Siegemund comes with a guaranteed payday of $255,000, not bad for a player with career earnings of $2.7 million since turning pro in 2011.
“I’m just riding the high right now,” Hunter said after her second round win. “I think you’ve got to enjoy it while you can and just focus on recovery now.
“This doesn’t happen every day, so I’m super excited. It’s honestly the best time of the year for Aussies and we absolutely love it.”
Even NRL club the Melbourne Storm are jumping on the bandwagon, tweeting their support to “our favourite tennis star”.
Go Storm âš¡ï¸
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) January 17, 2024
Huge congratulations to our favourite Tennis star Storm Hunter on making it through to the third round of Grand Slam singles for the first time! 🎾#AO24pic.twitter.com/3fMMLoJRig
Alex de Minaur, who played alongside Hunter at the recent United Cup and also reached the third round on Wednesday, is elated for his compatriot.
“You know, I think it’s a pretty amazing achievement what she’s accomplished, considering the lack of preparation she was able to have going from United Cup straight into qualifying,” De Minaur said.
“So I think that needs to definitely be mentioned and taken into account. Hopefully this gives her the belief to pursue the singles career a lot more.”
3.30pm – Demon showing ominous Open form
If Alex de Minaur is feeling any pressure as the great local hope, he isn’t showing it.
The man known as the Demon made light work of Italian Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets, 6-3 6-0 6-3, to saunter into the third round.
At one stage the New South Welshman won 11 straight games, subjecting the Italian to a “bagel” in the second set, before cruising to victory in exactly two hours.
“Very happy. Matteo is a hell of a player, has got a lot of firepower,” De Minaur said after the match.
“I just had to be solid here, use the crowd, try to stay focused and I’m very happy to get the win.”
Arnaldi was in the Italian squad which overcame Australia in last year’s Davis Cup final and De Minaur admitted there was a little extra motivation on Rod Laver Arena.
“It’s no secret that was heartbreaking at the end of the year losing to Italy in the Davis Cup final,” he said.
“I told the guys we’d be back there, today was a bit of revenge for Australia and I’m happy to be in the next round.”
de minaur absolutely flyingggg into round 3 is what you love to see xxx
— josh daicos supremacy🆠(@grundyisbae) January 17, 2024
😈 Demon Demolition
— The First Serve (@TheFirstServeAU) January 17, 2024
🇦🇺 Alex de Minaur [10] has breezed past 🇮🇹 Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 - #AusOpen Round 2, after two hours and one minute on Rod Laver Arena.
âž¡ï¸ At #41, Arnaldi is the highest-ranked player de Minaur has beaten at Melbourne Park.#TheFirstServepic.twitter.com/xGp5NoJzjd
2.15pm – Demon puts on a show
Aussie World No. 10 Alex de Minaur has started well against Italian Matteo Arnaldi, taking the first set 6-3. There were a few early jitters for the 24-year-old but those were quickly put to bed as he snagged an important break point.
He won 80 per cent of first serve points this set and simply outplayed the Italian from the get-go.
It got much worse for Arnaldi in the second set as the Aussie got into his work. De Minaur zipped the second without dropping a game and looks set for a breezy afternoon ahead of the third round.
2pm – Jannik Sinner through
World No. 4 Jannik Sinner has put on a clinic at Rod Laver Arena, downing Dutch star Jesper De Jong in straight sets 6-2 6-2 6-2. The Italian has had a breezy tournament so far, notching two straight sets victories to snag a spot in the third round.
He will play the winner of today’s second round match between Daniel Elahi Galan and Sebastian Baez.
1.50pm – 2018 champion Wozniacki falls
20-year-old Maria Timofeeva has defeated 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 1-6 6-4 6-1 to advance to the third round. Timofeeva, another Russian star, is playing in her first major draw and has so far exceeded expectations. She defeated Aussie Priscilla Hon in the qualifiers before taking down former World No. 11 Alizé Cornet 6-2 6-4 in the first round on Sunday.
1.14pm – Andreeva wins over Australia
16-year-old Mirra Andreeva had the crowd in the palm of her hand in her post-match interview after smashing No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur 6-0 6-2.
“I was really nervous before the match. I am really inspired by the way she plays. Before I started to play on the WTA tour I always watched her matches,” she said.
“Honestly the first set I showed amazing tennis. I didn’t expect that from myself. I just wanted to play on this big court for the second time and just to enjoy tennis and I did.
“I just feel like I am a bit more mature than I was before.”
“You’re only 16,” the interviewer said.
“That’s true but last year I was 15 and this year I think I changed a lot and you can see that on the court,” Andreeva replied, as the crowd laughed.
The young Russian star said a highlight of visiting Australia was seeing all the animals and admitted her main priority upon touchdown was holding a snake.
12.30pm – Teen sensation rewrites history in Melbourne
Two-time Wimbledon finalist and No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur had her hands full with 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Rod Laver Arena.
Andreeva, the teenage sensation from Russia stormed out of the gates to have the Tunisian in shambles in the first match of the day on the main court.
In Andreeva’s first year on the tour in 2023 she made it through to the 2nd round at the US Open, the third round at the French Open and the fourth round at Wimbledon.
This is her first time playing the Australian Open so fans might not know too much about her. That won’t be the case for long.
With a win against American Bernarda Pera earlier this week, Andreeva became the youngest player to win a singles match at each Grand Slam since Coco Gauff and the youngest Russian to do so since Anna Kournikova.
She went on to take the first set 6-0.
At 16 years and 263 days, Mirra Andreeva became the youngest player in the Open Era to claim a 6-0 opening set against a top 10-seeded player in the women’s singles at a Grand Slam event.
Jabeur, clearly rattled by what the teen delivered in the first set, walked over to her coach between sets for a lengthy discussion.
The pair have never played. Jabeur advanced to the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva.
The Tunisian finally broke through to win the first game of the second set before raising a hand to the roof in celebration.
Andreeva got the early break in the second set as Jabeur collapsed. The No. 6 seed was throwing her racquet in frustration as she crumbled to 2-5 in the final set.
She eventually closed out the match 6-0 6-2 in a stunning 54-minute demolition.
Wow.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 17, 2024
16 years old Mirra Andreeva bagels world #6 Ons Jabeur in 20 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Incredible.#AusOpenpic.twitter.com/EOVtc1ahWh
16, 263 - At 16 years and 263 days, Mirra Andreeva is now the youngest player in the Open Era to claim a 6-0 opening set against a top 10-seeded player in the women's singles at a Grand Slam event. Wow.#AusOpen | @AustralianOpen@WTA@WTA_insiderpic.twitter.com/Ni9w0FTvXk
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 17, 2024
– Rohan Smith at Melbourne Park
11.15am – Star exposes Australian Open hypocrisy
Victoria Azarenka has put the Australian Open in the gun and pointed out the damning hypocrisy in the tournament’s sustainable plans.
The two-time Aus Open champion used her press conference to put the Down Under grand slam on blast over the use of plastic products all over Melbourne Park.
“We have water bottles that are recyclable, but then we have plastic everywhere around. What are we actually doing?” Azarenka said.
“It’s like one step we’re trying to take to absolutely sustainability and et cetera, but you’re selling plastic all over the stadium.
“And those big bottles, I don’t know how much I have to drink. So to me it’s confusing.
“I want to make sure that we do something that is important. But like this, it looks like – what’s that sentence – smoke and mirrors? You can say that?
“I don’t like that. If we’re going to do something important as try to be sustainable, okay, let’s actually do that.
“But if you look at all the things around, we have chocolate individual wrappers all over the stadium. What are we doing?”
Azarenka doesn’t like the new bottles & points out the irony in the sustainability policy by the Australian Open while still selling plastic all over the stadium pic.twitter.com/8KIjNbymDP
— Melanie Lautrup (@melanie_lautrup) January 16, 2024
10am – Demon’s cheeky Insta remark on Boulter’s post
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter both made their way into the second round of the Australian Open.
The loved up couple took care of business with the Aussie star earning a walkover victory over Milos Raonic before Boulter downed Yue Yuan on day three.
After securing the opening round victory, Boulter took to social media to revel in the straight sets win.
“We keep fighting. Into round two. Felt the love out there thank you,” she captioned the post alongside two photos from the contest.
But de Minaur couldn’t help himself as he delivered a cheeky swipe in the comments section of the upload.
“Is that you smiling,” he wrote alongside a shocked emoji.
9:30am – Controversial Aussie ends Open exile
Divisive Australian figure Margaret Court is set to end her four-year Australian Open exile and return to Melbourne Park.
Court, a 24-time grand slam winner, was last seen at the Open back in 2020 as calls continue to mount for the court named in her honour to be renamed.
The 81-year-old tennis legend has continually sparked controversy over her views on homosexuality, transgender people and same-sex marriage.
Despite the four-year exile, the Herald Sun reports she will return to the Open during the second week of the tournament.
Australian Open Day 4 schedule and results
Rod Laver Arena from 12pm (AEDT)
Mirra Andreeva (RUS) defeated Ons Jabeur (TUN) [6] 6-0 6-2
Alex de Minaur (AUS) [10] defeated Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) 6-3 6-0 6-3
From 7pm
Aryna Sabalenka (RUS) [2] defeated Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 6-3 6-2
Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] defeated Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-3 4-6 7-6 6-3
Margaret Court Arena from 12pm
Jannick Sinner (ITA) [4] defeated Jesper de Jong (NED) 6-2 6-2 6-2
Coco Gauff (USA) [4] vs. Caroline Dolehide (USA) 7-6 6-2
From 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) [7] defeated Jordan Thompson (AUS) 4-6 7-6 6-2 7-6
Maria Sakkari (GRE) [8] vs. Elina Avanesyan (RUS)
John Cain Arena from 11am
Maria Timofeeva (RUS) defeated Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 1-6 6-4 6-1
Storm Hunter (AUS) defeated Laura Siegemund (GER) 6-4 3-6 6-3
From 3pm
Ben Shelton (USA) [16] defeated Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6
Andrey Rublev (RUS) [5] defeated Chris Eubanks (USA) 6-4 6-4 6-4
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