Novak Djokovic Mention Gets Boos But Ben Shelton Wins Over Australian Open Fans With Classy Interview

Ben Shelton handled an unexpected moment with maturity during his post-match interview at the Australian Open. After a mention of Novak Djokovic drew boos from the crowd, the American responded with gratitude, thanking fans for staying late and supporting the match.

Shelton’s latest outing was on January 25 in the fourth round of the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena. He faced Casper Rudd in this round, claiming an impressive 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s fourth-round match got cancelled after Jakub Mensik withdrew from the match due to an abdominal injury.

In the on-court interview, Shelton took a moment to acknowledge the fans who had stayed in their seats deep into the evening. When he mentioned Djokovic during his speech, the crowd booed from sections of the stands. Rather than reacting awkwardly, Shelton calmly leaned into the moment and expressed genuine appreciation for the spectators who had stayed late. (0:13 onwards)

“For me, I think atmosphere is everything. So yeah, I want to I want to thank you guys for staying out here so late tonight.  I know you guys were probably looking forward to watching Novak tonight (crowd boos). I actually heard it from the stands, but I hope that we didn’t disappoint with that match. So, I really appreciate you guys staying late,” said Ben Shelton.

Ben Shelton Shared His Honest Opinion on Competing at The Australian Open

Ben Shelton opened up about his experience of playing at the Australian Open in the aforementioned press conference. The interviewer highlighted his previous performances in the major, revealing that he made it to the quarterfinals in his first experience and also made it to the semifinals last year. Opening up about competing at Melbourne in 2026, he said: