Novak Djokovic has backed Danielle Collins for her cheeky response to hostile fans at the Australian Open and says the sport could afford to take itself a little less seriously.
Collins blew kisses at the booing crowd and thanked it for paying for her next five-star vacation after beating local Destanee Aiava in the second round on Thursday. Djokovic, who endured constant heckling from one fan throughout his third-round victory on Friday, said he had every sympathy for Collins and thought she had handled the situation well.
“I loved her response,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion told reporters with a laugh. “I loved it. Everything she said on the court, off the court. Big fan of Danielle Collins after that. I was before, but now, big fan. I think she was funny, smart and just big fan of what she did.”
On the wider point of whether tennis is too conservative a sport, Djokovic said the sport was rightly proud of its history and traditions. “At the same time, I think we have been a little bit behind the other sports with changes and trying to keep the pace with the evolution of society and the new generation that we all know doesn’t have that much of a great attention span,” he said.
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“So, for example, the last couple of years I think only that we have this new rule where people are able to come in even if it’s not a changeover. So I guess that’s one of the ways to really try to open up a bit more and not have strict rules.”
With the exception of Wimbledon, which Djokovic said he “would not change much”, the Serbian said he would like to see entertainment during breaks in play. “I think that we should try to look to connect more with the younger people and bring them in,” he added.
“For example, why wouldn’t we consider doing something between the sets like the Super Bowl or, I don’t know, the NBA, right?
“When there is a timeout, they have dancers come in and this and that. I wouldn’t have problem with that. … I feel like it would bring more of a fun element and entertainment to tennis that we know has been quite traditional and maybe conservative in some things.
“So I’m up for it, just like maybe gradual changes. Dancers first.”
Djokovic and Alcaraz on course for Australian Open encounter
Djokovic, who won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, overcame some midmatch breathing trouble in his third-round contest to dismiss world number 26 Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 at night.
The 37-year-old was in vintage form, ramping up his serve to crush his Czech opponent. “Best match of the tournament for me. I didn’t have too many drops in the concentration and the level of tennis,” he said.
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“I think I prepared myself very well and played a terrific match. I’m very happy with my game.”
After Collins’s reaction to the Melbourne crowd, Djokovic also pointed to his ear and then someone in the Rod Laver Arena stands at the end of his match. “I am very hot-headed right now,” the fiery Serb said.
Djokovic is likely to take on Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight as the French Open and Wimbledon champion continued to carve his way through the draw despite dropping his first set of the tournament in his 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 win over Nuno Borges.
“I’m just really happy with my level,” the 21-year-old said. “Could be better. I made a lot of mistakes that I shouldn’t have, … but in general, I’m just happy and have things to improve in approaching the next match.”
Alcaraz will now face number 15 Jack Draper of Great Britain, who rallied to beat Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(8).
Other men’s winners in the third round include world number two Alexander Zverev and number 12 Tommy Paul.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had a much more difficult path than many of his contemporaries, coming back from two sets down for the second match in a row and saving two match points to sneak past 19-year-old Jakub Mensik 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-2.
Fokina is the first man since 2005 to win consecutive matches in Australia after falling behind 0-2 in sets. “In all these years, I had a lot of ups and downs,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I had decided this year to fight every point.”
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