Novak Djokovic found himself at the centre of controversy at the Australian Open, leaving even former tennis star Tim Henman in disbelief. During his match against Botic van de Zandschulp, Djokovic’s frustration got the better of him. After clinching a first set win and being ahead 3-0 in the second, Van de Zandschulp staged a mini-comeback that seemed to irritate Djokovic. At one point, Djokovic’s errant shot came dangerously close to hitting a ball girl, prompting an immediate apology from the Serbian star.
The tense atmosphere didn’t stop there. As Djokovic served to keep the third set alive, distractions from the crowd riled him up. Umpire John Blom had to ask spectators for quiet during points, reminding everyone that noise can be quite the distraction. Djokovic, not impressed with the polite request, urged the umpire to be firmer, which only led to more boos from the audience.
After clinching the match 6-3, 6-4, 7-6, Djokovic addressed the incident on court and joked about his emotions with a playful comment to his younger self, saying, “Calm down, you jerk!” A wild day in tennis, full of drama on and off the court! 🎾 #TennisDrama #NovakDjokovic #AustralianOpen