Novak Djokovic dealt with an Australian Open heckler in quite a creative way as the Serb acknowledged that he was married but added that he was willing to go out for a drink with him.
After the world No. 7 overcame Tomas Machac 6-1 6-4 6-4 to reach the round-of-16 in Melbourne, he stayed on the court for an interview with Andrea Petkovic.
But one spectator wasn’t interested in letting it go smoothly and he started screaming.
“Sorry mate, I have a wife. We can have a drink though. Maybe you’ve had a few already?” Djokovic quipped.
Then, the 37-year-old revealed that he recognized the heckler, saying it was the same person who was going at him throughout the match.
“Him and I were going back and forth for quite a while actually, since…” the Serb said before Petkovic interrupted by asking: “Should we set up a date?”
The record 10-time Australian Open champion repeated that he is in for a drink before funnily revealing that he forgot about what he and the former German tennis star were even talking about: “Listen, I’m happy to have a drink with him now that the match is over, we can reflect nicely on what we’ve said to each other during the match… What were we talking about?”
Novak v The Heckler 🍷😅#AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/cUW0NYAxWe
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2025
Djokovic set to battle in-form Jiri Lehecka next
For a place in the Australian Open quarterfinal, the former world No. 1 will battle 29th-ranked Lehecka, who beat Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets.
For the 37-year-old Serb and the Czech, it will be their second meeting.
In their first and lone clash which came at the 2024 United Cup, the 23-year-old competed well – managed to even win a set – before the record 24-time Grand Slam champion ultimately completed a 6-1 6-7 (3) 6-1 win.
While Djokovic enters as the favorite, it should be noted that Lehecka has been one of the players in early 2025 as he currently stands at 8-0 after winning the Brisbane International and also his opening three matches in Melbourne.
Tennis World USA