Ben Shelton calls out Australian Open broadcasters, on-court interviewers over 'negativity'

American tennis star Ben Shelton has become the latest player to criticize the Australian Open's broadcast partner, following a dispute between Novak Djokovic and Channel Nine. Shelton reached his first-ever Australian Open semi-final on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) on Rod Laver Arena.

At the end of his post-match press conference, Shelton volunteered his displeasure with the broadcaster's and on-court interviewers' conduct during the tournament. "I’ve been a little bit shocked this week with some of the way that the broadcast has been handling some of the players," he told reporters. "(The guy who mocked Djokovic), I don’t think that was an isolated incident."

Shelton continued: "I've noticed it with different people, not just myself. I noticed it with [Luka] Van Assche's match as well. I thought his post-match interview after he beat Medvedev was embarrassing and disrespectful. I've also had people make comments to me in post-match interviews like, ‘Hey, [Gael] Monfils is old enough to be your dad, he probably is your dad’, or today on the court, ‘Hey, Ben, no one is going to be cheering for you in your next match no matter who you play, how do you feel about that?’”.

Shelton believes, "I feel like the broadcasters should be helping us grow the sport, helping these guys that are winning matches on the biggest stages enjoy one of their greatest moments. I feel like there's too much negativity, and I think it needs to change." The interview Shelton referred to with Van Assche occurred after Van Assche upset fifth seed Daniil Medvedev. Former Australian doubles champion John Fitzgerald interviewed Van Assche, opening with the line "19-year-olds aren't supposed to be this good," to which a visibly uncomfortable Van Assche responded "I don't know what to say," drawing laughter from the crowd. Fitzgerald then said to the Newport Beach native, "I used to live in Newport Beach, so I know where you live."

Shelton's comments come after Novak Djokovic refused an on-court interview with Jim Courier following his fourth-round win over Jiri Lehecka. Djokovic later revealed that his refusal was not aimed at Courier but at Channel Nine host Tony Jones, who he claimed had mocked Serbian fans during an earlier broadcast. Jones later apologized to Djokovic, and the ten-time Australian Open champion spoke with Courier after his thrilling quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night.

Shelton’s comments also come after former Australian pro Jelena Dokic, part of the Channel Nine broadcast team, hit back at criticism of her on-court interview following an all-American clash with Madison Keys. Awkward on-court interviews are not a new phenomenon at the Australian Open, or any of the other three grand slams around the world. These interviews are usually more lighthearted than regular press conferences, with the aim of showing more of the players’ personalities. But that doesn’t mean interviewers don’t overstep the mark. In 2015, Canadian Eugenie Bouchard was asked to twirl and show off her outfit by a reporter named Ian Cohen during an ill-fated interview. "It was very unexpected. I mean, yeah, I don't know...an old man asking you to twirl? It was funny," Bouchard later said when asked about the awkward exchange.

An even more awkward incident occurred this summer, with Carlos Alcaraz having to discuss Alex de Minaur’s recent engagement to Katie Boulter following a charity match with the Australian. “I mean, I congratulated him already,” Alcaraz said, laughing. “I don’t know if you are sure about that. No, I mean, I saw them in the tournament. I don’t know Katie so much, but she seems a really good person, so I think you will enjoy the marriage. Hopefully, everything goes well. And, yeah, congratulations.”

Defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner also suffered an awkward exchange earlier in the tournament. Sinner was being interviewed by American tennis legend John McEnroe, who asked the Italian whether he had played juniors against Tristan Schoolkate prior to their second-round match. The question came because it is well-known that Sinner is a late-bloomer who did not compete in junior tournaments. Both Sinner and Shelton will have the opportunity to answer more awkward questions when they compete for a place in the Australian Open final on Friday.