Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz overshadowed by boycott as Serb talks up clash

has talked up his mouthwatering clash with .

The world No. 7 will face the Spaniard in the quarter-final on Tuesday – their first meeting since Djokovic beat Alcaraz to win the Olympic gold medal.

But their blockbuster match has been overshadowed after Djokovic took a stand and in protest of “offensive comments” made by a TV presenter from the host broadcaster.

Alcaraz was the first of the two to book his spot in the last eight, advancing when retired y. Djokovic later took to the court to face Jiri Lehecka.

The 10-time champion in Melbourne , setting up the match everyone wanted to see – Djokovic vs Alcaraz. But the attention was quickly snatched away from their meeting.

Djokovic raised eyebrows when he did not complete his usual on-court interview. Instead, he took the microphone and quickly thanked the crowd for coming before walking away.

The 37-year-old

“Couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” he said.

“And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9. So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.”

Djokovic also confirmed he would continue his stance until he received an apology. The world No. 7 said he had nothing against the Australian public and noted that he would accept any fines for missing the interviews.

It comes after Jones appeared in front of a group of Djokovic fans during a live broadcast from Melbourne Park on Friday night. As they cheered and waved Serbian flags, Jones sang: “Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out.”

While it’s no surprise that Djokovic felt the need to take a stand, the fallout from Jones’ remarks has unfortunately overshadowed the exciting eighth instalment of the Serb’s rivalry with Alcaraz.

Djokovic currently leads their head-to-head record 4-3. They played twice last year, with Alcaraz routing Djokovic in the final before the 37-year-old got revenge in the Olympic final just three weeks later to win the one title that always evaded him.

Their Olympic showdown was regarded as one of the matches of the year. Djokovic and Alcaraz have played two other memorable showdowns – the 2023 final and the Cincinnati Open final a few weeks later.

And Djokovic admitted he had been looking forward to their first Aussie Open contest since the draw was made. “Well, I’m expecting a big battle, as it’s the case in most of our matches where we faced each other,” he said on Sunday evening.

“Maybe just a couple times it was quite one-sided. finals last year, he was the dominant force on the court. I had a really good match against him in the World Tour Finals in 2023.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion had the ultimate praise for Alcaraz, comparing their matches to his famous rivalry with . He continued: “Other than that, we had some long battles, long exchanges kind of matches that I played against him.

“Reminds me of my matchups versus Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court. He’s very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch – not that great to play against.

“I look forward to it. I think when the draw was out, a lot of the people were looking forward to potential matchup in the quarter-finals, Alcaraz versus me. So here we are.

“I think we both are hitting the ball pretty well this tournament. I like the way I’m playing and the way I’m feeling last couple matches. I’m excited about that challenge.”

Alcaraz is also thrilled to get the chance to face Djokovic again. “What weakness Novak has? Just few or none. I know what I have to do on clay, on hard court, on grass,” he said.

“This is going to be the first time that I am playing against him in a Grand Slam on hard court, so let’s see. I’m just excited.”