Novak Djokovic in X-rated outburst after not realising Australian Open rules had changed during Prizmic win

Novak Djokovic had an X-rated outburst against some spectators during his match with Dino Prizmic (No. 187) following a rule change at the 2024 Australian Open that the Serbian was unaware of. The 24-times Grand Slam champion advanced to the second round by overcoming his young rival 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

Controversy arose because the rules now allow spectators to move between seats between games or enter and exit the stadiums, something that previously required waiting until the changeover. Djokovic even shouted "Shut the f**k up" at some spectators as they moved.

The new freedom for fans was not known to Djokovic, who admitted he was unaware of the change: "I did not know about that new policy or new rule,” he said. Although it is not ideal for Djokovic, he acknowledged that he understands the reasons behind the rule: “Look, I mean, I understand the motive behind it is to enhance and improve the experience for fans, right?

"We do play for fans. We want fans to have a great, thrilling experience of being out on the court. It's hard, I must say. I understand that and I support it to some extent, but at the same time, all my career, all my life I've been used to some kind of atmosphere.”

‘Nole’ added that the changes distracted him a bit and also led to the match being extended due to the movements of the audience: “When that changes, it kind of messes up, distracts you a bit. Today we lost quite a bit of time when they were letting people in to come to their seats, even though it was not a changeover.

"My opponent would wait for them to sit down. It dragged a lot. I don't know if it's really the best rule, but I do understand from a tournament and fan perspective it's probably better because they don't want to wait. They want to come out and enjoy every single point,” 10-times Aussie Open champion added. "I'm kind of divided between the two in a way."