It appears the Australian Open is still not over for Novak Djokovic. Especially after the controversy that involved the 24-time Major winner down under. During the event in Melbourne, a reputed broadcaster Tony Jones mocked Djokovic. Owing to this, the Serbian refused to give on-court interviews. Later the 10-time AO king was booed by a section of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena during the semifinal after he opted to retire from the tournament because of a muscular tear. Now, his teammate and Serbia’s captain for the Davis Cup came forward in defense of Djokovic while urging for strict action. But what did he say?

Ahead of the Davis Cup clash with Denmark in Copenhagen, Serbian captain Viktor Troicki interacted with outlet Bolavip. Apart from the match itself, he had a lot to express about his compatriot Djokovic. Troicki was clearly not happy with what his teammate faced down under across two weeks of the Australian Open. Firstly speaking of the booing incident, he said, “I don’t think happens in any sport. Not even in soccer, where the crowd is normally more wild. When someone gets injured in soccer, even an opponent, they will applaud you and wish you to get better.”

Troicki was shocked to witness this kind of treatment to Djokovic. Especially at a Major where “he has played his best tennis and has won 10 titles, that he got booed after the injury. It was really disrespectful and disappointing.” He also mentioned that on past occasions this was never the case, and everyone appreciated Djokovic. “I think they were admiring his results more and greeting the champion with more respect in the past.”

Shifting his focus to another controversy, he threw light on Channel 9’s Tony Jones. While being live on air, the latter had mocked the tennis legend, saying, “Novak, he’s overrated” and “Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out.” Before concluding his remarks, Jones then took a jab at his fans and said, “Boy, I’m glad they (Serbian fans) can’t hear me. Anyway, let’s get onto the tennis.”

When Djokovic learned about this incident, he decided not to give any on-court interviews. He wanted Jones to issue a public apology. Well, the journalist did apologize later. But it didn’t feel like he was actually guilty of his words. “I considered it to be humor, which is consistent with most things I do,” said Jones, as reported by the Associated Press on January 20. “I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. And as I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak.”

Commenting on the Channel 9 row, Troicki had a furious reaction. He wasn’t happy with Jones’ remarks about his teammate. “There was the situation around channel nine, which I noticed as well. If I had hired that journalist, I would have fired him straight away. He would never work in sports again,” he said. Urging for stricter action against Jones, Troicki said “he should be banned for life from covering tennis”

Simply put, the Serbian skipper wasn’t pleased with the overall reception given to Djokovic down under. Per him, it’s getting “worse and worse. It is surprising and disappointing to see the greatest player of all time experiencing so many bad things happening in Australia again.”

But what did Djokovic have to say about his experience in Australia, especially regarding the boos he received after retiring from the Major?

Novak Djokovic reacts to booing at Rod Laver Arena upon his exit due to injury

So what was the reason behind the crowd’s unpleasant reaction to Novak Djokovic? Before the SF stage, he had sustained a hamstring injury in the quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz. In the first two sets, he could hardly move on the court. As a result, he took a medical time-out (MTO). After receiving the treatment, he seemed normal in the third and fourth sets. So much so that it didn’t feel like he was struggling because of an injury in the first place.

Later, many fans, including an expert, took a jab at him while suggesting that he probably faked his injury. But that wasn’t the case, as he actually got a muscular tear. Then, during the SF encounter against Alexander Zverev, Djoker left immediately after losing the first set. To this, a section of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena started booing him.

After the match, in an official press conference, Djokovic addressed this entire situation and said, “I don’t know what to say. People have come, they paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get. From that perspective, I can understand.” Adding to his response, he said, “I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to understand me.”

Meanwhile, he is taking his time to recover and come back on the court. He did clarify there’s a strong chance of him returning for next season in 2026. And that he’s not considering stopping playing anytime soon. “So, I’m fit, healthy, motivated. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance, yeah.”

He wanted to clinch his Slam number 25 in Melbourne. Unfortunately, it couldn’t happen. Which means he will have to try his luck in the remaining three Grand Slams this year. What are your thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s journey going forward? Will he eventually accomplish the milestone of winning the most number of singles Slams in tennis history, leaving behind Margaret Court? Let us know in the comments below.