MELBOURNE, Australia — American tennis player Ben Shelton expressed his concerns on Wednesday regarding the types of questions and comments posed by TV interviewers after matches at the Australian Open. After advancing to the semifinals of the prestigious tournament, Shelton took a moment at the end of his press conference to express his surprise at how players have been treated by the media during the event.
Shelton specifically pointed to a controversy involving a commentator’s derogatory remarks about Novak Djokovic that led the 24-time Grand Slam champion to refuse to speak with local broadcaster Channel 9 following one of his matches. Djokovic later agreed to an interview after the network and the commentator, Tony Jones, publicly apologized for the comments.
“I don’t think that was just a single event,” Shelton remarked, noting that he has observed similar behavior toward various players, not just himself. He highlighted an incident involving 19-year-old American Learner Tien after Tien’s unexpected victory over 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, which concluded around 3 a.m. during the second round. Shelton described the interview as “embarrassing and disrespectful,” featuring an array of statements instead of questions, including peculiar comments such as “19-year-olds are not meant to be that good” and “I know where you live, by the way.”
Additionally, Shelton shared his own experiences with on-court interviews. Following his triumph over veteran player Gael Monfils, interviewer Roger Rasheed attempted to inject humor into the conversation by implying that Monfils, at 38, could be viewed as a father figure to the 22-year-old Shelton. Both players are Black, leading Shelton to ask, “Was that a Black joke?” to which Rasheed replied, “I’m not sure.”
Later, after Shelton’s quarterfinal win against Lorenzo Sonego, he was questioned about facing either defending champion Jannik Sinner or Australian player Alex de Minaur next, with the interviewer suggesting that the audience would likely be rooting against him in the semifinal match. Shelton countered by saying, “I know I’ve got a few people out in the crowd who are going to be pulling for me, too.” In response to the interviewer’s comments regarding the fans’ potential support, Shelton stated, “That may be true, but I just don’t think the comment is respectful from a guy I’ve never met before in my life.”
In conclusion, Shelton emphasized the importance of broadcasters in promoting the sport and enhancing the experiences of athletes after significant victories. He expressed concern over the prevailing negativity and called for a change in how players are treated during interviews, believing that media should focus on celebrating athletes’ achievements on such major platforms.
