Novak Djokovic experienced a new rule at the 2024 Australian Open for the first time, and he gave his honest thought after the match.
This year's Australian Open allows tennis fans to enter the arena and find their seats even outside of the changeover. Usually, fans were allowed to enter only during the changeover, but that period could drag out if the games extended beyond usual.
The new rule allows fans to enter the court after every game, not just the changeover, which confused both Djokovic and his opponent. Dino Prizmic especially waited for them to take their seats, extending the pause between games, and later, the Serbian had to do the same.
He spoke about it after beating Prizmic in four sets, admitting that he understands the reasoning behind it because tennis is ultimately a product for the fans. Well, from a business side, at least.
"I did not know about that new policy or new rule. Look, I mean, I understand the motive behind it is to enhance and improve the experience for fans, right? We do play for fans. We want fans to have a great, thrilling experience of being out on the court."
Despite that, Djokovic didn't stay away from admitting that it was hard to get used to it because he's used to it being one way, and now this other way is nothing more than an abstraction. That's just how it felt to him, and he's probably not the only one.
"It's hard, I must say. I understand that and I support it to some extent, but at the same time all my career, all my life I've been used to some kind of atmosphere. When that changes, it kind of messes up, distracts you a bit."
Prizmic also didn't seem too keen on playing with people moving around, which dragged play even more. Ultimately, Djokovic questioned whether it's the best rule, but he understood why it's been tried.
"Today we lost quite a bit of time when they were letting people in to come to their seats, even though it was not a changeover. My opponent would wait for them to sit down. It dragged a lot."
"I don't know if it's really the best rule, but I do understand from a tournament and fan perspective it's probably better because they don't want to wait. They want to come out and enjoy every single point. I'm kind of divided between the two in a way."
0 Comments