Zverev criticised those who booed Djokovic, who boasts 10 Australian Open titles, more than any other ATP player.

It is a journey that began all the way back in 2008, with his victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also representing his first Grand Slam title.

Djokovic lost the 2007 US Open final to Roger Federer in his maiden Grand Slam final, but recovered with a fine win over Frenchman Tsonga in Australia.

Novak Djokovic knew he needed to ‘fight against’ 2008 Australian Open final crowd

The Serbian played out a thrilling battle with his opponent, eventually coming out on top 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7-2).

Among many other questions in his winning press conference, the victor was asked how it felt to be playing against such a crowd favourite for the second match in a row, having played Federer in the semi-final.

“Well, this is something that you got to fight against, you know, just try to keep your head in the match,” replied Djokovic.

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“As I said after the match, you know, the crowd was more behind him. In one way, it’s okay. You know, it’s understandable.

“Everybody has a right to decide who they are going to cheer for. He’s an attractive player. You know, he’s a young one.

“He’s unseeded coming to the finals. Obviously, they wanted to support him. But I think I had enough support.

“Even though there was around my box and in my box all together about 20 or 30 people. I think they were screaming incredibly throughout all the match and really helped me out.”

Novak Djokovic set for further Australian Open drama if he returns in 2026

It’s fair to say Djokovic has managed to handle even the toughest crowds since that moment, with 23 more Grand Slam titles having gone his way.

He has often been tasked with playing the role of the villain on the court, but the Serbian has more than dealt with anything they have thrown at him over the years.

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As Djokovic alluded to, the 2008 Australian Open final crowd were perhaps always going to favour the unseeded Tsonga, particularly with the Serbian being the third seed, along with the fact he had just knocked out fan favourite Federer.

It has been a roller-coaster journey for the iconic Serbian in Melbourne since that first Grand Slam title, with his tenth and final Australian Open triumph to date having come against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023.

It remains to be seen if the 37-year-old will make a return to the event in 2026 given his injury issues, but an interaction with the boisterous fans there is very likely.

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