When you’re the best in the world at anything, it obviously comes with scrutiny. Top-ranked Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic undoubtedly understands that, but he took all he could handle from a fan during this week’s Australian Open.
During the fourth set of his his 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Alexei Popyrin, Novak Djokovic caused a scene when he walked to the back of the court and yelled at a spectator who he claims was heckling him throughout the entire match.
“There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side the other corner,” Djokovic said after the match according to ESPN. “I was tolerating it for most of the match.
“At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have the courage to come down.”
When asked what exactly the heckler was saying to him, Djokovic declined to say, saying “you don’t want to know [what he said].”
“I was asking [the heckler], ‘If you have courage, if you’re such a tough man — tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let’s have a discussion about it,” Djokovic said.