Tennis fans want man banned after obscene gesture towards Novak Djokovic sparks outrage
Australian Open viewers are calling for a spectator to be banned after throwing a rude gesture during Novak Djokovic's match with teenage sensation Dino Prizmic.
The world number one was given a scare by the Croatian teenager in what turned out to be the longest first-round match of his grand slam career.
The qualifier at Melbourne Park was pretty even until Djokovic stepped things up and came out with a 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4 victory on his seventh match point after four hours and one minute.
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Djokovic was full of praise for Prizmic, saying: “He deserved every applause, every credit that he got tonight.
“He’s an amazing player I must say, so mature for his age.
“This is his moment and it could easily have been his match as well.
“He made me really run for my money for sure tonight.
“Amazing performance for someone that is 18 years old that has never had experience of playing on this stage.
“I certainly want to be in his corner, so hopefully he will invite me because we’re going to be seeing a lot of him in the future.”
The 10-time-champion admitted: “I’m double his age. Reality hits hard tonight.
“I struggled in many different moments, but he had an answer for everything.
“Now I have a couple of days, so hopefully I’ll be able to be at my best for the next match.”
Despite coming away with a win, the talking-point from the match - certainly amongst fans - comes after a spectator was seen throwing a seemingly rude gesture, know as a 'bras d'honneur'.
This 'arm of honour' gesture involves throwing a fist up and folding the other arm into the crease of the elbow.
Insane level of hatred.
— Terre Battue (@Anto_Stock) January 14, 2024
Is this a tennis fan @AustralianOpen ? #NovakDjokovic #NoleFam #prizmic #AO24 pic.twitter.com/YoREaFhS16
Although around the world the gesture is usually the equivalent to saying 'up yours', it actually has a deeper meaning in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
Known as the bosanski grb ('Bosnian coat of arms') it highlights the territorial coat of arms of Bosnia - which is a red, armoured arm holding a sword with the elbow bent at a right-angle.
After seeing the footage of the fan, one viewer took to X (formerly Twitter): "Hey @AustraliaOpen - is this tolerated behaviour?"
"@AustralianOpen do the right thing and ban this individual from ever setting foot on your premises again," another wrote.
"Insane level of hatred. Is this a tennis fan @AustralianOpen?" someone else questioned.
LADbible has contacted the Australian Open for comment.
Anish Vij