Presenter That Mocked Djokovic 'Should Be Banned For Life' Says Serbia's Davis Cup Captain
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Serbia's Davis Cup captain, Viktor Troicki, passionately defended Novak Djokovic after some booed the tennis legend as he left the court at the 2025 Australian Open.
The booing occurred after Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev. The ten-time champion in Melbourne had a tear in his left hamstring and could not continue after losing the first set on a tiebreak.
Some fans inside the Rod Laver Arena booed Djokovic as he left the court. Although it was far from being a majority of those in the stands, doing that to the ten-time champion at the tournament was quite shocking.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, thinks the fans' frustration about only seeing one set and growing suspicions about the authenticity of Djokovic's injuries led to that heated reaction from some spectators.
However, Djokovic proved his sincerity by posting an image of his MRI scan, which showed the injury was genuine. Troicki, a close friend of the former ATP world No. 1, was furious about the 37-year-old's treatment as he left the Rod Laver Arena.
Serbia's Davis Cup captain told BolaVIP that even soccer crowds, known for being more rowdy than tennis fans, usually applaud players off when they get injured. He said what happened to Djokovic surprised him.
"They were booing him after the injury, which I don’t think happens in any sport. Not even in soccer, where the crowd is normally more wild. When someone gets injured in soccer, even an opponent, they will applaud you and wish you to get better."
"That’s why it was surprising to see, especially in a place where he has played his best tennis and has won 10 titles, that he got booed after the injury. It was really disrespectful and disappointing."
Troicki also believes that the conduct of the fans at the Australian Open has declined compared to previous years. The former world No. 12 doubts that Djokovic would have been booed at the season's opening Grand Slam in the past.
"They are booing him in the crowd, which was not happening before in Australia. I think they were admiring his results more and greeting the champion with more respect in the past."
There was controversy before the booing incident when Channel 9 reporter Tony Jones mocked Djokovic and mentioned his 2022 deportation from Australia. That led to the 24-time Grand Slam champion boycotting Channel after his fourth-round match.
Djokovic accepted a public apology from Channel 9 and Jones afterward, but Troicki is also angry about his friend's treatment in that incident and believes Jones should be given a lifetime ban from covering tennis.
"There was the situation around channel nine, which I noticed as well. If I had hired that journalist, I would have fired him straight away. He would never work in sports again."
"I think they are treating Novak worse and worse. It is surprising and disappointing to see the greatest player of all time experiencing so many bad things happening in Australia again. After Covid and what they did to him a few years ago, it has never been the same."
"To mock an athlete during the tournament is unacceptable. I don’t think an apology is enough. I think he should be banned for life from covering tennis."
