Major controversies from Australian Open 2023 ft. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
The 2023 Australian Open came to an end with Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka winning the men's and women's singles titles.
Djokovic won his 10th title at the Asia-Pacific Major by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) in the final. This saw the 35-year-old equal Rafael Nadal's tally of 22 Grand Slams and return to the top of the ATP rankings.
Sabalenka won her maiden Grand Slam singles title by coming from a set down to beat reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. The Belarusian's exploits saw her return to her career-best ranking of World No. 2. Despite the defeat, the runner-up finish will see Rybakina make her debut in the Top 10 of the WTA rankings.
While some sensational matches took place during the 2023 Australian Open, the tournament also had its fair share of controversial moments. On that note, let's take a look at the top five controversies at the 2023 Australian Open.
#1. Novak Djokovic's father posing for pictures with Russian fans
While Novak Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, he did so without his father in the stands. The World No. 1's father Srdjan was involved in an off-court controversy after his quarterfinal defeat of Andrey Rublev.
The 62-year-old posed for pictures with Russian fans who were holding pro-Vladimir Putin flags, which attracted criticism from tennis fans. Srdjan eventually decided not to attend his son's semifinal against Tommy Paul.
"My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace. So there is no disruption to tonight's semifinal for my son or for the other player, I have chosen to watch from home," Srdjan Djokovic stated.
He also decided not to attend Djokovic's Australian Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, something that the 35-year-old claimed hurt him.
#2. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic arguing with umpires
While Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had contrasting fates at the Australian Open, both players were involved in arguments with the chair umpire over the serve clock.
The Spaniard's argument came in his second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald. He was displeased with the towels being kept so far away which disrupted his service routine.
"Every time, I am in rush, even serving normal. Without the towel, every time, I see the clock at 5... 4..... With you it is always the same," Nadal told Veljovic. "It's okay. For you it doesn't matter. But I cannot take the towel every time. It is out there."
Djokovic argued with chair umpire Damien Dumusois about a similar matter during his semifinal against Tommy Paul. The Serb reached out to use his towels at the end of a point in the opening set and the serve clock had already started by that time.
#3. Elena Rybakina's coach shouting at her
Elena Rybakina had a spectacular tournament at the Australian Open as she reached the final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. The Kazakh's performances saw her enter the Top 10 of the WTA rankings.
Her coach Stefano Vukov made headlines during the tournament when he was seen shouting at her during her semifinal against Victoria Azarenka. The Kazakh defended her coach after the tournament, claiming that he was passionate and his methods helped her win a Grand Slam.
"After a great AO, I have seen some disturbing comments on social media about the behaviour of my coach Stefano Vukov. I want to clarify any misinterpretations. Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else did. We plotted a strategy together in how I could achieve great things and his method shows in my Grand Slam success so far," Rybakina wrote.
"He is a passionate coach, with a lot of knowledge about tennis. Unlike people that are making these comments, he has great knowledge about me as a person and as an athlete. Those who know me well, will know that I would never accept a coach that didn’t respect me and all our hard work," she added.
Rybakina also claimed that Vukov has played a major role in her achievements to date.
"I may be quiet on court and in general, but inside me is a competitive athlete that wants to achieve great things and Stefano has helped me greatly in this way. So please disregard any fake news to the contrary," the 23-year-old said.
#4. Controversial flags and symbols being displayed by Australian Open crowd
The crowd at the 2023 Australian Open had their headline-grabbing moments, sometimes for the wrong reasons.
Over the course of the tournament, some Novak Djokovic supporters displayed a few controversial symbols during some of his matches. One spectator donned a T-shirt that had the "Z" symbol on it during the Serb's semifinal against Tommy Paul. The sign signifies support towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and was first used by the country's military during their invasion of Ukraine.
Another spectator waved a Chetnik flag during Djokovic's Australian Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Chetniks are a Serbian far-right group that gained notoriety for war crimes during the Second World War.