Novak Djokovic calls out drunk Australian Open heckler after Tomas Machac win
'Maybe you had a few already...'
Novak Djokovic called out a drunk Australian Open heckler following his 6-1 6-4 6-4 win over Tomas Machac in the third round on Friday.
Djokovic cruised past the 26th-seed Czech star in straight sets to set up a fourth-round showdown with 24th-seed Jiri Lehecka at Melbourne Park.
The 37-year-old was clearly irked during his on-court interview after beating Machac when one spectator yelled out from the crowd.
‘Sorry mate, I’ve got a wife,’ Djokovic said as the crowd erupted into laughter at Rod Laver Arena.
‘We can have a drink, though. Maybe you had a few already. Him and I were going back and forth for quite a while, actually.’
Quizzed by the interviewer if she should ‘set up a date’ between Djokovic and the heckler, the Serbian added: ‘I’m happy to have a drink with him.
‘Now the match is over, I think we can reflect nicely on what we said to each other during the match.’
During the match, meanwhile, former American tennis player Ryan Harrison aimed a dig at Djokovic’s coach Andy Murray.
Harrison said there was no advice the British legend was able to give to Djokovic, given that Murray lost both of his ATP matches against Machac.
Murray played Machac twice before his retirement – which both came in 2024 – with the Czech star beating the Briton in Marseille and Miami.
‘Andy Murray would have thought he was safe from his head-to-head match-up records against certain players after retiring, but you have to hold him accountable right?’ Harrison told the BBC.
‘He didn’t necessarily have all the answers when he was playing Tomas Machac, so then you have to wonder if he didn’t have the answers himself then what is he going to be telling Novak Djokovic?’
Djokovic teamed up with former Big Four rival Murray for this year’s Australian Open, a move which has largely excited tennis fans around the globe.
