"Don't poke the bear" - Nick Kyrgios reacts to Novak Djokovic's heated exchange with heckler during 2R win at Australian Open 2024

Nick Kyrgios has reacted to Novak Djokovic confronting a heckler during his second-round match at the 2024 Australian Open.

Djokovic defeated home favorite Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in three hours and 11 minutes to move into the third round. The win not only extended the Serb's unbeaten streak to 30 matches in the Melbourne Slam but also saw him equal Serena Williams' record for most wins at the Rod Laver Arena.

The World No. 1 had to endure heckling from the crowd throughout the match. This disruptive behavior persisted for quite some time until the 36-year-old finally reached his breaking point in the sixth game of the fourth set and directly confronted the person responsible for the heckling.

"Come and say that in my face," the Serb said.

Following that incident, Novak Djokovic was noticeably hyped up and proceeded to win the match and move one step closer to his 11th Australian Open title.

Reacting to the incident, Nick Kyrgios stated that people should have refrained from heckling the 24-time Grand Slam champion because such actions only serve to fuel Djokovic's motivation and prompt him to do better.

"DONT POKE THE BEAR GUYS," Kyrgios posted on X.

Novak Djokovic on the heckling he faced from the crowd: "I don't want to be experiencing that"

Australian Open 2024

After his match against Alexei Popyrin, Novak Djokovic addressed the heckling incident during the post-match press conference. He stated that it was upsetting and frustrating.

“It does [upset me]. I'm not going to sit and say it's all good. It's not good. Of course, it upsets me. I'm frustrated. I don't want to be experiencing that, but I have to accept it as it is,” he said.

The Serb added that despite the heckling, he would never ask for the removal of the individual from the arena because they had paid for the tickets and made the effort to attend the match.

“People pay tickets to come and watch us. They want to see the show. They want to have fun. They're allowed to do that. There's no issue in terms of I never asked anyone to leave the stadium. I never asked the chair umpire to take somebody out. I wouldn't do that because he paid his ticket, and he has the right to be there and say what he wants to say and behave how he wants to behave,” the Serb added.

Novak Djokovic will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round at the 2024 Australian Open.