Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open with another straight-sets victory.
It’s a phrase that has been written many times throughout Djokovic’s illustrious career, and yet the simplicity of the phrase doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.
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Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Botic van de Zandschulp won’t even be a footnote in his glittering career when he finally calls it quits, but acted as a fascinating microcosm for the Serbian icon’s awkward and sometimes bizarre relationship with Australian tennis fans.
The 38-year-old entered Rod Laver Arena to a rapturous ovation – as he should as a 10-time champion – but as we progressed into the night, the mutual love gradually faded, as is often the case with Djokovic.
For someone who was relatively in control of the entire match, Djokovic appeared oddly irritable throughout the evening.
Djokovic’s crowds are always loud thanks to his loyal Serbian fans, but this one sitting at Rod Laver Arena was on another level.
Chair umpire John Blom had to scold the crowd several times as Djokovic expressed frustration over the noise made as he attempted to serve.
Every time Djokovic complained about the noises coming from the stands, the cheers turned to boos, with the once adoring crowd suddenly seeming to be barking for blood.
A punter in the stands tried to play Switzerland through it all, shouting “We love you Novak”, in a typical Australian way, but failed to make Djokovic smile.
Djokovic’s frustrations flared in the second set when he hit a foul ball and nearly took out a kid near the net, immediately reigniting memories of his infamous exit from the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball. This again elicited gasps and a handful of boos.
To his credit, Djokovic apologized for the incident after the match during his press conference, admitting that he was “lucky” not to touch the kid following a rush of blood.
At one point in the third set, as Djokovic received treatment on his right foot following a fall, the crowd broke out in a Mexican wave that had the momentum to continue all night if Blom hadn’t put a stop to it.
While outmatched, van de Zandschulp created a moment of worry for Djokovic when he brought up a set point while leading 6-5 in the third set.
Djokovic showed frustration to the crowd on numerous occasions during his victory against van de Zandschulp. (Getty Images: Phil Walter)
This moment was arguably the loudest of the entire night, and it clearly irritated Djokovic, who quickly put his finger to his mouth as if to silence the crowd after saving the set point.
Djokovic’s class prevailed soon after in the third set tiebreaker, and he followed his victory by once again antagonizing the crowd by pointing to his ear before bringing out his usual violin celebration while also acting as a conductor to the crowd.
All of this, while being incredible theater, was a reminder of Djokovic’s complex relationship with his Australian fans.
Melbourne Park is a place where past champions are totally adored, but for some reason Djokovic has never felt as loved as other winners.
For all his success in Australia, Djokovic (left) seems to lack the universal adoration that Federer (right) receives at Melbourne Park. (Reuters: Stuart Milligan)
Six-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer lit up the tournament with his arrival and sent fans into a frenzy with a simple practice session with Casper Ruud.
Jim Courier, a two-time champion over three decades ago, is still adored as he comments year after year.
Stan Wawrinka, champion here in 2014, received a hero’s ovation in each of his matches this week before celebrating his exit with a beer on court with tournament director Craig Tiley, endearing him even more to the Australian public.
It’s hard to imagine Djokovic experiencing a moment like this, even as the most successful player at the Australian Open.
2014 Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka received a hero’s welcome this week before being knocked out by Taylor Fritz. (PAA: James Ross)
Federer is adored at Wimbledon, the grand slam he dominated. Rafael Nadal is practically a god at Roland Garros after winning 14 Roland Garros titles.
Djokovic at Melbourne Park? It almost feels like the Australian public is saying, “Yes, he won the most here, but that’s not the case.” OUR better, not OUR champion”.
The Djokovic-Australia relationship became particularly strained during the COVID-19 drama, which saw him kicked out of the country ahead of the Australian Open.
He came back and won the tournament again in 2023 and won over some fans in the process, but the love still never reached the levels of Federer and Nadal.
This is not to say that Djokovic is completely unloved in Australia.
There is no better story in sports than that of the aging legend battling both Father Time and younger opponents in an effort to stay at the top of their respective sport.
While peak, peak Djokovic is in the rearview mirror, watching a post-prime Novak square off with Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner next week is still the dream match for many tennis fans.
However, after a week in which Federer was universally celebrated and Wawrinka shared a beer with the crowd, Djokovic’s evening was a reminder that his relationship with Australian fans remains incredibly unique.
