Novak Djokovic to receive massive honor at Australian Open following heckling controversy

Novak Djokovic's bittersweet relationship with the Australian Open is set to enter a new chapter as he will be honored with a statue at the tournament. This recognition comes despite a controversial campaign this year, marked by tensions with the Aussie crowd.

Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne ended in heartbreak. While he wasn't the favorite, he made it to the semifinals with a notable win over third seed Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last four, the Serb faced Alexander Zverev but retired after losing the first set due to injury concerns. As he left the court, he was booed by the crowd and later shared proof of his leg injury on X to address the criticism.

When tensions eased, Australian Open director Craig Tiley revealed that plans are underway to erect a statue of Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park to honor his legacy as a 10-time champion of the tournament. He stated (via The Age):

“I think the way we’ve got the celebration of the Australians in the hall of fame is great, but I think we’ve decided we’re a global event."

Tiley added:

“He’s won this event 10 times, and we all get along great with Novak and his team. They’re actually fun to be around, and he’s so highly competitive walking on the court – he wants to do nothing but win.”

Australian Open director Craig Tiley comments on Novak Djokovic being booed

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2025 Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

The incident of Novak Djokovic being booed by the Australian Open crowd after retiring hurt during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev prompted a reaction from tournament director Craig Tiley, who expressed his disappointment with the crowd's behavior.

Tiley said in the same interview:

“I always hate the booing - it doesn’t matter what the reason is. It’s not a cool thing to do in any situation, but I definitely think that was a boo of disappointment. I don’t think it was targeted at Novak at all."

He added:

“Even the conversation in the corridors here afterwards with the players, and that kind of stuff; there was a general understanding of acceptance that it was not because of Novak, it was because the fans saw only one set."

“It was a good set, and they wanted more of that. That was gearing up to be an epic, and then it suddenly stopped," he continued.