The Australian Open 2025 is grabbing a lot of attention based on the crowd reactions so far. Among the ongoing stories, Danielle Collins and her challenging relationship with the Melbourne crowd have drawn significant focus, and Novak Djokovic added to the intrigue on Sunday (January 19th).

Following his straight-sets win against Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round, the Serb declined to participate in the routine post-match interview with Channel 9 presenter and former World No. 1, Jim Courier. However, Djokovic briefly addressed the crowd, thanking them for their support, before leaving the court.

Channel 9 is an Australian-based news channel, but it has faced significant backlash recently due to its controversial remarks about Djokovic and Serbian fans. Many people expressed their anger on social media for this reason.

On the other hand, Djokovic needs no introduction when it comes to being perceived as the villain in the game. At Wimbledon last year, he was once again in the spotlight for his challenging relationship with the crowd following his fourth-round win against Holger Rune.

Netizens slam Novak Djokovic for his conduct at the Australian Open

As soon as the incident occurred, fans took to social media in full force to criticize Novak Djokovic for his conduct. Many felt that his behavior was completely disrespectful to the crowd.

Here are some of the reactions:

Regardless of the controversy, it adds to the high-stakes match between the Serb and Carlos Alcaraz. The two have been standout players over the past 2–3 years and have competed on the biggest courts in the world.

The duo faced each other twice last year. Their first meeting was in the Wimbledon final, where Alcaraz won in straight sets. Their second encounter came in the Olympic gold medal match, where the Serb prevailed in two tiebreak sets.