"Winning is the best revenge and Novak Djokovic does that repeatedly" - Martina Navratilova on Serb confronting a heckler at 2024 Australian Open

Martina Navratilova has stated that the best way Novak Djokovic can deal with hecklers is by winning his matches.

During Djokovic's second-round Australian Open contest with Alexei Popyrin, the Serbian lost his temper at one point and confronted a heckler mid-match. While it was a one-off incident and he managed to wrap up the win later, the incident became a big talking point afterward.

Three-time Major winner and former Olympic champion Lindsay Davenport said that she was happy to see Djokovic take on the agitated fan instead of letting the incident slide.

"It has to be exhausting to always be the villain. So easy for the crowd to cheer against and you've accomplished so much. I think he's gotten to a point where "I'm so over this, I win and win and win and this is getting crazy." So I actually don't mind seeing that from him. It has to be, every single match it seems so easy for the crowd to get on the opponent's side, to start saying things to him and he's had it," she said (via Tennis Channel).

Former World No. 1 Navratilova opined that the best revenge Djokovic can get is to win his matches and have the last laugh.

"Saying things from the from the crowd, not okay. But you know, winning is the best revenge and Novak does that repeatedly. So [it is] he who gets the last laugh, right?" she said.

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"I had enough" - Novak Djokovic on confronting a heckler during the win against Alexei Popyrin

Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open.

At the post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic was quizzed about the fan interrupting his match against Alexei Popyrin. While he refused to repeat the exact words that were exchanged, he stated that he had been tolerating verbal tirades from that section of the court for a while before losing his cool.

"I mean, you don't want to know," he said with a smile.

"There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side the other corner. I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face," Djokovic added.

Djokovic, who has won a record 10 titles at the Australian Open, also admitted that it upsets and frustrates him when he gets heckled on the court.

"It does. 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.