By
Novak Djokovic said his friends had a “little chat” with the fan who yelled midpoint during his victory over Taylor Fritz at the US Open.
Djokovic reached his record 47th grand slam semi-final, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most by a man, by defeating Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Fritz heard a ton of support from the partisan fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium, especially as he was trying to get back into the match late.
FOLLOW LIVE: All the action from day nine of the US Open
READ MORE: Man booted from US Open for ‘unacceptable Nazi phrase’
THE MOLE: ‘Senior figures’ plot to oust ‘under siege’ club boss
During a pivotal eighth game in the final set, a fan was heard yelling in the middle of a rally, with some speculating the crowd member appeared to be cheering as if Djokovic had already won the point.
Djokovic ended up losing the point, leading to an explosive reaction from the Serbian star, as he pointed to the side of his head, while unleashing a frustrated spray in the fan’s direction.
Speaking to media after the match, Djokovic laughed when asked about the incident.
“He was actually in the box where some of my friends were,” Djokovic said. “I don’t know who the guy was, but I was pretty annoyed by him at that point. I communicated with my friends to have a little chat with him.”
The 23-time grand slam champion was asked if he had a particular problem with the crowd behaviour at this year’s Open, with the reporter referencing Daniil Medvedev’s clashes with fans.
“Look, it happens, and sometimes you react but most of the time you don’t. I speak for myself, obviously most of the time you don’t react,” he said.
“People speak, they move around and you’ve got to be ready for that, particularly in the US Open, especially in the night sessions. That’s part of it, it’s part of the sport.
“Mostly, I don’t mind it but in those important moments when you’re all of a sudden under a lot of stress and you’re facing a break point, then all of a sudden everything annoys you and distracts you so then you react.
“But, again, that’s heat of the moment, playing at the highest level, crowd, I’m actually glad that the crowd wants to get into it because it means that the match is interesting, that they want to be part of it and that they’re having fun.
“At the end of the day, they pay for tickets to come and watch you play, so we try to put on a show and perform for them so they go back home satisfied that they’ve been here and enjoyed their day.
Watch US Open 2023 live and free on 9Now. Alternatively, you can stream every match live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport, with centre court in 4K UHD
Djokovic’s emotional post-match speech
“Sometimes they might have an interaction with the player, like this guy today, I’m sorry for him, but he was really annoying at that point and that’s it. It happens.”
In the end the crowd’s input mattered little as victory ensured that Djokovic’s hopes of winning a 24th grand slam title remain alive, as he seeks to equal Margaret Court’s outright record and extend his own men’s record.
Djokovic will face another American in the final four, taking on the winner of Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, but he was eager to just enjoy the feeling of making yet another grand slam semi-final.
Clearly in a jubilant mood after securing his victory, Djokovic led the crowd in a singalong of the Beastie Boys’ classic ‘Fight For Your Right.’
The Serb is in the United States for the first time since 2021 due to his unvaccinated status, but made up for lost time by immediately returning to winning ways at the Cincinnati Open ahead of the US Open, beating Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable final.
Djokovic has continued to look ominous throughout the tournament in New York and the quarter-final was another stage on which he produced some remarkable tennis.