Author: Richard Pagliaro @Nowtennis | Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
The Happy Slam feels a bit like the Laughing Slam Ben Shelton.
Sheldon, 22, paused Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) to advance to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
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At the end of the postgame press conference, Shelton called out the AO host Channel 9 He believed it was disrespectful to the players during live broadcasts and on-field interviews.
Shelton, the 21st seed, said he was “a little bit shocked” by the level of disdain some interviewers showed toward some players and dismissed the coverage as “embarrassing.”
“I was a little bit shocked this week at the way the players were treated by the broadcasters,” Shelton told the media in Melbourne. “I don’t think the person who mocked Novak, I don’t think it was just a single incident.
“I noticed it in different people, not just myself. I noticed it in one of Tian’s matches. I think when he beat Medvedev in the post-match interview, I Thought that interview was a bit awkward and disrespectful.
Djokovic spoke briefly to the crowd after his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehka but refused to take the mandatory due to what he said were “insulting” comments from Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones On-site interview.
The 37-year-old Serbian superstar told his post-match press conference that he canceled his on-field interview in protest Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones mocking Serbian fans and insulting Djokovic himself as a “failure” and “overrated”.
Novak Djokovic explained at a press conference that he did not want to speak to host Channel 9, possibly because of what happened two days ago. pic.twitter.com/YxZFu7MX9R
— Jose Morgado (@josemorgado) January 19, 2025
Jones’ comments were broadcast by broadcaster Channel 9, while Serbian fans celebrated Djokovic’s victory by chanting “Noel! Noel!” while waving Serbian flag. Jones, visibly annoyed by the chants from Djokovic’s fans, taunted the crowd with a sing-song imitation of the Serbian fans, but said: “Novak, he’s overrated…Novak, he’s outdated .
An angry Djokovic accused Jones of “ridiculing Serbian fans” and “making insulting and offensive comments towards me”.
“A few days ago, a well-known sports journalist working for Australia’s official broadcaster Channel 9 mocked Serbian fans and made insulting and offensive remarks towards me,” Djokovic told the media in Melbourne. “Since then, a well-known sports journalist working for Australia’s official broadcaster Channel 9 mocked Serbian fans. In the future, he chose not to publicly apologize. Neither did Channel 9. So since they are the official broadcaster, I chose not to be interviewed by Channel 9.
“I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public. It was a very embarrassing situation for me in court today.
Jones eventually apologized to Djokovic, and the Grand Slam king gave an extensive on-court interview after his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz.
Pointing at Jones and mocking Djokovic, questioning the 19-year-old American learner field Challenges faced after defeating three-time finalists Daniil Medvedev The interviewer jokingly asked if Gael Monfils Shelton said that during the 2025 AO, some questioners had crossed the line into almost deliberately confrontational territory.
“In postgame interviews, a couple different people made some comments to me, whether it was, Hey, Monfils is old enough to be your dad. Maybe he is your dad,” Shelton said the father. “Or today on the court, hey, Ben, how does it feel to have no one cheering for you no matter who you play in the next game?
“I mean, maybe it’s true, but I just thought that comment was disrespectful to someone I’ve never met in my life.”
Over the years, players have suffered some vicious insults, personal attacks and, in extreme cases, threats from disgruntled losing gamblers or cynical social media trolls in social media posts.
In recent months, a growing number of players have begun to speak out against mainstream media and anchors as they feel commentators’ overreach has led to outright ridicule.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has publicly criticized Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim after he made a comment that mocked her forehead during rehearsals and posted it on social media.
In this case, TC suspended Wertheim until the end of the year, although some fans and commentators actually criticized Krejickova for her taunts, and other media members reported claims that pros should be thicker Face controversy, accept criticism as part of their job and overcome it.
Some players said some Channel Nine commentators made sarcastic and mocking comments and then claimed they were just “cheeky” or “mean” in an attempt to quell the backlash.
Shelton said there’s a big difference between criticism of a player’s performance and personal attacks.
Shelton famously made the “hang up” gesture during his inspired run into the 2023 US Open semifinals, attracting the attention of some commentators, fans and other players, including Djokovic criticism.
Furthermore, Shelton suggested, if you can’t believe that host broadcasters invest millions of dollars to broadcast the Australian Open out of respect for the players and, by extension, the sport, what does that say about the state of tennis promotion?
“I feel like broadcasters should help us grow our sport and help these athletes who have just won on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments,” Shelton said. “I think there’s a lot of negativity. I think that needs to change.”
