"I have nothing more to say... It's just absurd" - When Novak Djokovic was furious over match-fixing allegations surfacing amid Australian Open

Novak Djokovic is one of the most prolific champions in tennis history, winning a record 24 Grand Slam titles and 99 ATP Tour titles overall in his career so far. However, that does not mean the Serb has faced the occasional shock loss every now and then.

Unfortunately, one of those losses was accused of as a match-fixing plot, by Italian newspaper Tutto Sport. In 2016, in the middle of the Australian Open, the claims surfaced, with no proof given against Djokovic. The match in question was a clash at the 2007 Paris Masters, where the Serb, seeded No. 3 in the ATP 1000 event, lost in straight sets to Fabrice Santoro in the second round.

Asked about the same in his press conference in Melbourne, the 24-time Grand Slam champion refused to entertain the allegations, stating that he wanted to see the evidence first.

"My response is that there's always going to be, especially these days when there is a lot of speculations, this is now the main story in tennis, in sports world, there's going to be a lot of allegations, so..."

"I have nothing more to say. I said everything I needed to say two days ago. You know, until somebody comes out with the real proof and evidence, it's only a speculation for me," Novak Djokovic said.

When pressed by journalists, the former World No. 1 grew furious, calling the entire situation absurd to be even considered as a worthy discussion in the middle of a Grand Slam.

"What it is to say? I've lost that match. I don't know if you're trying to create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it's just absurd," Djokovic said.

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"Anybody can create a story about any match" - Novak Djokovic

2025 Australian Open - Day 8 - Source: Getty

Calming down a little later, Novak Djokovic explained his point of view at the press conference, emphasizing how any match where a top player lost to a lower-ranked player could be spun as a match-fixing attempt.

"Anybody can create a story about any match. That's my point. There hasn't been too many matches where top players lost in last decade or so in early rounds. You can pick any match that you like that the top player lost and just create a story out of it," Novak Djokovic said.

As long as there was no evidence, Djokovic argued, speaking about the allegations would be a waste of time.

"I think it's not supported by any kind of proof, any evidence, any facts. It's just speculation. So I don't think there is a story about it," he added.

Undistracted by all the media noise surrounding him at the 2016 Australian Open, the man from Belgrade won the title, defeating Andy Murray in the final.