Aussie Tennis Star Dylan Alcott Says Some Australian Fans Unfair To Novak Djokovic
Aussie Tennis Champ Dylan Alcott Sucks Australians Booed Djokovic ... After Australian Open Injury!
Novak Djokovic and the people of Australia ain't exactly on the best terms since the pandemic ... and Aussie wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott says many fans have been unfair to the 24x Grand Slam winner!
Things began to go south in 2022, when Novak, a skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccine, was banned from playing in the Australian Open (a 10x A.O. champ) and deported from the country because he didn't get the jab.
Fast forward to 2025 ... Novak pulled out of the Australian Open in the semifinals due to a muscle tear in his leg. The tennis great was heavily criticized in the country.
Not how we wanted your campaign to end, @djokernole.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2025 @AustralianOpen
Thank you for another wonderful Australian summer. Well played and best wishes for a speedy recovery.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/d5VJ6YNBeN
So, when 34-year-old Alcott, one of the greatest wheelchair tennis players ever, stopped by the TMZ offices for a taping of our new podcast, "Big Down Under," host (and fellow Aussie) Charlie Cotton asked him about Djokovic, a mate of Dylan's.
"It sucks," Alcott, a 25x Grand Slam winner (15 singles and 10 doubles titles), said of the fans who booed 37-year-old Novak after he was hurt.
"Like who are you to say someone isn't injured, and when you won that many [Australian Opens], you don't have to be a fan of someone but you don't have to disrespect them and boo them off the court."
Despite the harsh treatment inside his home country's borders, Alcott has nothing but love for Novak.
"He's been a supporter of me, wheelchair tennis," he said. "We do this demo every year at the AO, and it really highlights that he wants to support other people in tennis, which is cool."
Dylan, who was named Australian of the Year in '22, says everyone is entitled to their own opinion ... but that doesn't mean the athletes have to pay attention.
"You can like me; you can not like me. You can like Novak; you can not like Novak. We can't control what people think about us."
The next Australian Open is set to go down in January 2026 ... and if Djokovic is healthy and playing, it'll be one of the most can't-miss tourneys in the tennis calendar.
Bottom line ... the man has at least ONE fan Down Under.