Watch: Novak Djokovic demands fan be removed from stadium for repeatedly "provoking" him during 2R clash at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic was constantly heckled by a few members of the crowd during his second-round win over Enzo Couacaud at the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday (January 19). The situation got out of hand in the fourth set which prompted the Serb to vent his ire to the chair umpire, Fergus Murphy.
The Serb led Enzo Couacaud 6-1, 6-7, 6-2, 2-0, when he finally lost his cool at the incessant heckling by four fans dressed in ‘Where’s Wally?’ fancy dress. He approached the chair umpire and vented his fury regarding the fans, who, as it turns out, were also inebriated.
The 21-time Major champion revealed that the fans had not only been heckling him but were also provoking him throughout the match. He then demanded they be ejected from the stadium with immediate effect.
“The guy is drunk out of his mind,” Djokovic told chair umpire.
“From the first point he’s been provoking me. He's not here to watch tennis, he just wants to get in my head, you heard him at least 10 times, I heard him 50," he added.
“What are you going to do about it? Get him out of the stadium," demanded the Serb.
The four fans were escorted out of the stadium following the game.
"The guy's 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝... he's not here to watch tennis!"
A furious Novak Djokovic pleads with the umpire to remove a loud spectator from the audience 😤
#AusOpen | @DjokerNole https://t.co/IiASc4pyEj
Speaking on court after his win, the Serb still seemed a bit miffed by the situation even though he opined that the overall atmosphere was "electric."
“It was interesting circumstances to deal with but that's a grand slam - the atmosphere was electric but in a bit of a negative way," Djokovic said.
"I wanted to get through in three but credit to him, he played really well in that second set" - Novak Djokovic heaps praise on Enzo Couacaud
Novak Djokovic entered his match against Enzo Couacaud as the overwhelming favorite. Fans and experts expected the Serb to coast through in straight sets despite the latter suffering from a hamstring issue.
But he dropped the second set in a tiebreaker, sparking fears of a potential upset. Speaking on court after the win, the former World No. 1 heaped praise on the Frenchman's performance in the second set, revealing that he would have preferred to win in straight sets.
“It had a little bit of everything tonight. I’m glad to get through this kind of match in four sets. I wanted to get through in three but credit to him, he played really well in that second set," the Serb said.