Written by Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Calvin
Happy Slam feels a lot like its own Mockery Major Ben Shelton.
22-year-old Shelton stopped Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) to advance to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
More: Sinner and Cahill will be separated after 2025
At the end of his post-match presser, Shelton called out the AO announcer Channel 9 what he believes is disrespecting players in the air and on social media.
The 21-year-old Shelton said he was “a little shocked” by the level of disdain he believed some interviewers had shown towards other players and described it as “disgraceful.”
“I was a little shocked this week at the way the players were treated by the broadcasters,” said Shelton to the media in Melbourne. “I don’t think that the boy who mocked Novak, I don’t think that was just one event.
“I noticed it with different people, not only me. I noticed it with Learner Tien in one of his matches. I think when he beat Medvedev in his post-match interview, I thought it was a shame and disrespectful in that interview.”
After his fourth-round win over Jiri Lehecka, Djokovic spoke briefly to the crowd, but refused a court-ordered interview because of what he called “insulting” comments by Channel 9 broadcaster Tony Jones.
In his post-match statement afterwards, the 37-year-old Serbian player said he ignored the on-court interview arguing that Channel 9 hosts Tony Jones mocking the Serbian fans and insulting Djokovic himself as a “failure” and “excessive.”
Novak Djokovic explained in his press conference that he does not want to talk to the host of Channel 9, probably because of what happened here two days ago. pic.twitter.com/YxZFu7MX9R
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 19, 2025
Jones’ comments were revealed by the Channel 9 host as Serbian fans celebrated Djokovic’s victory with chants of “Nole! Nole!” while waving Serbian flags. Jones, apparently irritated by Djokovic’s chanting fans, taunted the crowd with a chant that mimicked the Serbian fans but said “Novak, you’re over it….Novak, you’re the one who’s been around.”
An angry Djokovic called out Jones for making “a mockery of Serbian fans” and “insulting and offensive comments about me.”
“A few days ago, a famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made fun of the Serbian fans and said insulting words about me,” said Djokovic to the media in Melbourne. “And since then, he chose not to apologize to the public. Likewise to Channel 9. So since they are official broadcasters, I chose not to discuss them on Channel 9.
“I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian community. It was an unfortunate situation for me to face the court today.
In the end, Jones apologized to Djokovic and the Grand Slam king gave a wide-ranging interview on court following his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz.
Pointing to Jones’ mockery of Djokovic, the 19-year-old American questions Student Tien he faced it following his three-time finalist upset Daniel Medvedev and the person you are talking to jokingly asks what Gael Monfils it was his father, Shelton said some questioners crossed the line into a nearly contentious area on purpose during this 2025 AO.
“There’s a comment I’ve made in interviews with different guys after the game, like, Hey, Monfils is old enough to be your dad. Maybe he’s your dad,” said Shelton, his father. , Bryan Shelton, is a former ATP champion, two-time Newport champion and serves as his son’s coach. “Even today on the court, Ben, how do you feel that no matter who you play in the next game, no one will cheer you on?
“I mean it might be true, but I don’t think the comment is respectful to a guy I’ve never met before in my life.”
For years, players have endured cruel insults, personal attacks, and, in extreme cases, even threats from disgruntled loser gamblers or ill-mannered social media threats in social media posts.
In recent months, many players have spoken out against major media outlets and host broadcasters when they’ve heard commentators cross the line into ridicule.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has publicly criticized the Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim after her funny comment on her forehead while she thought she was practicing was seen and posted on social media.
In that, the TC suspended Wertheim until the end of the year although some fans and commentators actually criticized both Krejickova, calling it ridiculous, and other members of the media for putting together the argument that professionals should grow tough skins, accept criticism as part of themselves. jobs and succeed.
Some players say some Channel 9 commentators make sarcastic and funny comments and say they’re just being “cheesy” or “sarcastic” to avoid backlash.
Shelton says there is a big difference between criticizing a player’s performance and a personal attack.
Shelton, who received criticism from commentators, fans and other players, including Djokovic, for his famous act of “shut up” during his run in the US Open 2023 semi-final, said if we are playing in the Happy Slam, why so much criticism from the broadcaster?
Furthermore, Shelton suggests that if you can’t trust a broadcaster who invests millions of dollars to show the Australian Open to honor the players and by extension, the sport, then what does that say about the state of tennis promotion?
“I feel that the broadcasters should help us grow our sport and help these athletes who have just won games in the big division enjoy one of their biggest moments,” said Shelton. “I feel like there’s just a lot of bad things. I think that’s something that needs to be changed.”
