Novak Djokovic is through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the tournament he has famously won a record-breaking 10 times. At 37, the relentless Serbian star defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. While his performance on the court was as commanding as ever, it was what happened after the match that grabbed headlines.

In an unusual turn of events, Djokovic declined to participate in the traditional on-court interview, leaving fans and commentators speculating about his reasons. Eurosport analyst and former tennis great Jim Courier later clarified, “He didn’t feel like having a chat with us, no idea it was going to happen. It’s not an obligation for players to do it. A player can opt out. I hope we got more color on it in press.”

The controversy stems from remarks made by Tony Jones during a Channel 9 segment covering Djokovic’s match. In a video that has since gone viral, Jones mocked the Serbian star while observing a group of Djokovic’s fans cheering with Serbian flags. Jones quipped, “Back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans there in full voice. The chants are quite extraordinary. Novak he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out. Boy I am glad, they can’t hear me,” and went on to express satisfaction that the crowd couldn’t hear him due to a sound barrier.

This befuddled the fans as they scrambled to find answers to Djokovic’s odd decision. What did they say?

Fans React to Novak Djokovic’s Decision to opt out of the on-court interview

Fans quickly took to social media to dissect the situation, with many linking Djokovic’s choice to an incident involving Australian broadcaster Tony Jones. Several viewers believed Djokovic’s decision was a subtle response to Jones’ earlier comments. One fan wrote, “It was a diss against Channel 9, which Jim Courier works for, because Tony Jones disrespected Novak live on TV a few days ago. It’s not the crowd…”

Another commented, “I have a feeling the reason why Novak Djokovic didn’t do his post-match interview with Jim Courier tonight was because of the unnecessary comments that Tony Jones made of him on Friday night.”

One X post said, “Didn’t say he had beef with him…. It’s just the fact that he works for Channel 9, which Tony Jones also works for. It’s more of a diss towards Channel 9 than Jim Courier. Connect the dots, guys!”

Some fans expressed regret that Jim Courier, known for his insightful interviews, missed the chance to chat with Djokovic. One viewer noted, “Shame is, Jim is a superb interviewer, but the crowd didn’t deserve an interview, neither did the host broadcaster after Mr. Jones’ behavior.”

The controversy stems from remarks made by Tony Jones during a Channel 9 segment covering Djokovic’s match. In a video that has since gone viral, Jones mocked the Serbian star while observing a group of Djokovic’s fans cheering with Serbian flags. Jones quipped, “Novak is overrated,” and went on to express satisfaction that the crowd couldn’t hear him due to a sound barrier.

While there were some that speculated the reason might be related to people in the audience booing the 24-time-Grand Slam champion, that doessn’t seem to be the case. The 37-year-old stayed behind to sign autographs and even left a short message before making his way down the tunnel. “Thank you very much for being here tonight, I appreciate your presence and support,” Djokovic said. “See you next round. Thank you very much.”

The Serb is through to his 58th quarterfinal of a Grand Slam where he will meet his new-age rival Carlos Alcaraz for the 8th time. Djokovic currently leads the rivalry 4-3.

He will be gunning to clinch his record breaking, 25th Grand Slam title. If the 37-year-old manages to do that, he will break Margaret Court’s 24 Grand Slam title record, the one he’s currently tied with. Djokovic will also become the only person to win 11 Australian Open titles, breaking his record of 10.

Can Novak Djokovic defy all odds and clinch his historical Australian Open title?