Novak Djokovic is through to his 15th Australian Open quarter-final after beating Jiri Lehecka.
Djokovic has recently been praised by Jannik Sinner for his longevity in the sport, as he reaches the last eight at a major tournament for a 20th consecutive season.
It is not just people giving opinions on the 24-time Grand Slam champion, with Djokovic also commenting on Danielle Collins amongst others.
However, Djokovic had little to say after his fourth round Australian Open victory over Lehecka.
Jim Courier reacts to Novak Djokovic rejecting his Australian Open interview
Usually after each match on Rod Laver Arena, players stop to talk with a selected interviewer for that match.
On this occasion it was former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion Jim Courier, who has conducted many interviews with Djokovic before.
After gearing up for the interview, Djokovic took the microphone from Courier and said, “Thank you very much for being here tonight. I appreciate your presence and the support, and I’ll see you in the next round,” before handing the microphone back and walking off court.
Djokovic’s actions have prompted a strong reaction from fans, and Courier himself spoke on Eurosport about what he thought of the incident and whether he had any indication that it might happen.
“No, I had no idea. I had no idea that was going to happen,” said Courier. “But there is no obligation for these players to that. It is an opportunity for them to talk to the people in the stadium and the fans around the world who might be watching on various channels.
“But a player can opt out. Initially I thought there might… sometimes if a player is injured or cramping they might opt out of it but I don’t think it was that. I hope we will get a little more colour on it at some point.”
What has Novak Djokovic said about the Australian Open crowd?
Although Djokovic chose not to answer Courier’s questions on court, the Serbian did decide to talk to another Eurosport presenter in Barbara Schett after the match.
When asked about the crowd on Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic admitted that he sometimes struggles to cope with different crowds.
“We all try to handle it in our own specific way. Sometimes I do it better and sometimes I kind of work against myself,” explained Djokovic. “Only people who have been there at the highest level know what you need to deal with.
“You need to weather the storm when you feel challenged. When I faced adversity the last few matches, I think I have handled it well. It’s a good signal for the next one.”
Djokovic will face more obstacles in the quarter-finals when he takes on Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Jack Draper in the fourth round.
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