Drunk fans hurling abuse at tennis players have come under the spotlight at the Australian Open after former world No.1 Novak Djokovic had four fans ejected from Melbourne Park in what’s the latest incident in a series of clashes between stars and spectators.
Djokovic overcame a leg injury and sustained heckling from a section of the crowd to beat qualifier Enzo Couacaud in four sets on Thursday night.
Four fans dressed as Where’s Wally had a running battle with Djokovic, who accused them of being drunk before they were ejected from Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night
When the allegedly drunk fans were shown on the big screen, the crowd booed them and one of the men blew a kiss. When they were ejected, Djokovic blew him a kiss right back
The Serbian star was infamously deported before the 2022 Australian Open because of his vaccination status.
He was consequently targeted at the 2023 Adelaide International 1 tournament, prompting Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley to say fans heckling Djokovic would be removed from the Australian Open.
However, four fans dressed in Where’s Wally costumes were allowed to remain in Rod Laver Arena for almost four complete sets despite repeatedly harrassing the Serbian.
The four fans would boo and jeer in between first and second serves and at one point Djokovic snapped back, saying ‘Shut up! Thank you!’
Djokovic implored the chair umpire to do something about the unruly fans that he claimed were drunk.
‘The entire night, the entire night, what are you going to do about it?’ he fumed.
‘You know who it is. The guy is drunk out of his mind. From the first point he has been provoking.
‘He is not here to watch tennis. He just wants to get in my head.
‘So I am asking you, what are you going to do about it. You heard him at least 10 times. I heard him 50 times.
‘Why don’t you get security guards, get him out of the stadium?’
Djokovic remonstrates with the chair umpire over the behaviour of the fans and asks the official what he is going to do about it
Security speaks to the four fans, who Djokovic accused of jeering between serves and other disruptions, before they were ultimately ejected from the stadium
Eventually, in the fourth set, the men were escorted out of the arena.
Many supporters backed Djokovic, saying the crowd behaviour was out of control at Melbourne Park on Thursday night.
‘The crowd in Melbourne tonight were utterly disgraceful. They should be ashamed of themselves… no respect for the players or the game.’ one fan posted.
‘I don’t blame Novak, why should he put up with abuse while at work, because that is what it is,’ posted another.
‘Tennis is about silence and respect…too many hooligans on tennis stadiums nowadays. He is right all the way,’ added another.
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov complained that a fan had necked ‘a beer too much’ before telling the spectator to ‘shut up’ in his second-round match
It comes after Canadian player Denis Shapovalov had an heated exchange with a spectator at the Australian Open during his second round match against Japan’s Taro Daniel.
A frustrated Shapovalov complained to the chair umpire the fan appeared to be intoxicated and had interrupted a rally.
‘They’ve had a beer too much and now they’re fooling around,’
Shapovalov then turned to the fan in question and told them to ‘shut up’.
The umpire then said something that was inaudible to the Canadian.
‘I understand, but it’s excessive,’ he replied.
Three British tennis fans are removed from court 13 at the Australian Open after allegedly hurling abuse at French player Constant Lestienne in his match against Cameron Norrie
The sledging was even uglier on Wednesday night when three British hooligans were ejected for vile abuse aimed at French journeyman Constant Lestienne.
The trio made their way to court 13 to support their countryman Cameron Norrie where their disgusting sledges could be heard loud and clear, including ‘You’re just a s*** Andy Murray’ and ‘Lestienne’s going home.’
Eventually the chair umpire got security to eject the rowdy fans.
Volatile World No.8 Daniil Medvedev was in no mood for heckling in his match against Marcos Giron on Monday. When an insult came his way from the crowd, the Russian bluntly fired back ‘f*** off’ and received a code violation from the chair umpire.
Kyrgios served up tweeners and winners at Wimbledon, along with a serve for a woman he claimed was intoxicated before later apologising when he found out she was not drunk
The alcohol-fuelled incidents at the Australian Open come after Nick Kyrgios engaged in an angry spat with a fan during the Wimbledon final last year, accusing her of having drank ‘700 drinks’ and asking the umpire to remove her.
‘Distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final?’ he said. ‘There’s no bigger occasion.
‘You didn’t believe me [the first time] and now it’s happened again. It almost cost me the game. Why is she still here?’
The woman then took the Australian to court over his claims, saying she was not intoxicated.
Kyrgios then settled out of court and paid £20,000 [$35,000 AUD] to a children’s charity after admitting he was mistaken.
