Kyrgios told to get fit after "sooking" in Aus Open f-bomb fit

Death, taxes and Nick Kyrgios dropping the f-bomb mid and post match.

He was back to his regular self on Thursday night slamming the sport's "dumb rules" and taking aim at fans in the crowd.

The Aussie was playing men's doubles with best mate Thanasi Kokkinakis but fell at the first hurdle with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6((4) defeat to fellow Aussies Jason Kubler and Mark Polmans.

The match was not without the expected drama with Kyrgios swearing at a heckler in the crowd before destroying the basic rules of tennis.

"You f–-king paid to watch me, bro," he yelled when an unruly spectator was interrupting the match.

After the defeat he was asked why he had said he felt the rules were not being followed.

“How can you review a ball that’s been hit over the net, but you can’t review a serve over the net?” Kyrgios said in his post-match presser. “Doesn’t make any f–king sense. Like, that’s why I’m pissed off.

“Like, we’re playing for millions of dollars. We’ve been both injured, both trying to get to this stage. Some of these rules are just so, so, so dumb. They don’t make sense.

“Yeah, so how can you not review a let? How can you not review that? How can you not just watch a ball just go over the net? How dumb does that sound.

It's a horrendous call by the referee, horrendous. No let, all that. We do so much hard work to get out there. To feel like you're hard done by. I'm not saying that's the reason we lost. Like obviously Kubes and Polmans, they're great players.

"Just pisses me off because, like, now we both have to go back to the drawing board. Physically we're hobbling. It's just annoying."

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis both withdrew from the men's singles through injury, so how are they feeling?

"I'm tired," Kyrgios continued. "I mean, I've done a lot of travel. I mean, I haven't really played any official tournaments. My goal in the last couple months was too play all these events and to get through the Oz Open playing some doubles with Thanasi.

"There's no one else I'd really want to play with, to be honest. I have mixed tomorrow. Then re-evaluate what my schedule looks like.

"That's it. I've ticked all my boxes, all my goals the last month and a half. I've done everything I thought I could do.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Kane Cornes weighed in with some thoughts on with Kyrgios could do - if he wants to get back to his best.

Asked what he made of the 30-year-old's performance and comments, Cornes told SEN Breakfast: "He should just get fitter and put more time into his craft.

"He is out first round of doubles - that's how far it's fallen. He's sooking about it. It will be a waste. There will be a time in 12-24 months when Kyrgios is off the radar."

At the end of Day 5, only two Aussies remain in the main singles draws in the Australian Open.

While the likes of Dane Sweeny, Rinky Hijikata, Taylah Preston and James Duckworth would all be eliminated following their losses, one Aussie proceeded to join Alex de Minaur in the Round of 32.

That would be qualifier Maddison Inglis.

The Western Australian has now equalled her best singles performance at a Grand Slam, having made the Round of 32 after a three-set win against German Laura Siegemund (6-4, 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (10-7).

She'll now play Naomi Osaka in that third round.

Both reigning champions, Madison Keys and Jannik Sinner, progressed to the third round alongside top five seeds Novak Djokovic, Amanda Anisimova, Lorenzo Musetti and Iga Swiatek.

Stan Wawrinka lives to see another day in what will be his final Australian Open, with the 40-year-old winding back the clock to claim a thrilling five-set win over his 21-year-old opponent in France's Arthur Gea.

But the piece of resistance would have to wait right till 9pm as the Special K combination of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis took to the Kia Arena court with fans queueing for hours to see the 2022 men's doubles champions in action.

And they certainly didn't disappoint.

After losing the first set (6-4) to fellow Aussies Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans, the pair responded to send the match into a third and deciding set, with the crowd getting caught up in the spectacle.

Kyrgios/Kokkinakis looked like they had the match dead and buried after getting to a 4-1 lead in the final.

But Kokkinakis proceeded to call for a medical timeout, which turned the match towards Kubler/Polmans' favour.

They went on to win the next three games to tie the set, with it eventually going to a match tie break.

If you couldn't get drama into the match, the tie break saw the Special K's have a point overturned when the tie break was at 2-1 in the opposition's favour.

This was due to Kokkinakis hitting what appeared to be a forehand winner at the net before the ball had actually crossed over.

And that proved to be a pivotal moment as Kubler/Polmans went on to win it 10-4.

See all the big moments below.

11:56pm KUBLER/POLMANS CLAIM THE WIN

Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans will be moving on in the men's doubles draw after defeating the Special K's in the 10-point match tie break.

After the Special K's lost a point on replay with the scores going from 2-2 to 3-1 in Kubler/Polmans' favour, the pairing didn't look back.

They would storm to a 9-3 lead with Kubler and Polman winning the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-4).

It's now back-to-back years that the Kyrgios/Kokkinakis have been knocked out in the first round of the men's doubles.

11:44pm DRAMA IN THE TIE BREAK

A bit of drama here in this tie-breaker.

In the fourth point of the tie break, it appeared that the Special K's had tied it up 2-2 with Thanasi Kokkinakis smashing a forehand at the net.

But on replay, it showed that Kokkinakis had actually hit the ball while it was still on Kubler/Polmans' side of the net.

The score goes to 3-1 in favour of Kubler/Polmans.

11:39pm MATCH TIEBREAK HERE WE COME!

There's never a dull game when it comes to Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, and tonight is no different as we enter a 10-point match tie break.

Will the Special K's prevail or will Jason Kubler/Marc Polmans come out on top?

11:32pm KUBLER/POLMANS FIND A WAY BACK INTO THIS MATCH

After Thanasi Kokkinakis' medical timeout after the fifth game in the third set, it has gone downhill for the Special K's.

Before the break, they led 4-1 and looked assured to make a second round appearance.

But instead, Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler have reeled off the next three games to tie the set.

That seemed to be the wake-up call both Nick Kyrgios and Kokkinakis needed as they broke their losing streak.

They have now held both of their service games to take a 6-5 lead.

This could really go either way.

10:31pm WE'RE OFF TO A DECIDER

They always find a way, those Special K's!

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis have pushed this game into a deciding set, having won the second set 6-4.

As the match goes on, they are getting better and better with the crowd certainly helping their efforts.

It's going to be an interesting finish for sure.

10:20pm UMPIRE ISSUES NOISE COMPLAINT

Who could have seen this coming?

With many waiting hours upon hours to get in, the crowd is certainly getting involved.

And it's just gotten to the point where the umpire has had to remind the crowd to be slightly less noisy.

And following the complaint, it has seen Kia Arena collectively shoo each other for an extended period of time.

Nick Kyrgios cannot help but smile about the situation.

Only the Special K's, hey?

9:53pm OSAKA WINS ANOTHER THREE SETTER

It's another three-set win for Naomi Osaka, who makes her way into the third round of the AO as she defeats Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Similar to her first round performance, she would win the opening set, lose the second and come back and win the third.

And that was despite Osaka hitting 41 unforced errors compared to the Romanian's 23.

She'll face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the Round of 32, with that match likely played on Super Saturday.

9:40pm SPECIAL K'S FALL BEHIND

That is not what the Kia Arena crowd wanted.

Aussies Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans have claimed the first set 6-4 after breaking Nick Kyrgios' serve at 4-4.

In any other circumstance, they would have the crowd well and truly behind them.

But against the Special K's (Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis), it's slightly different.

With a lack of match fitness in the lead-up to their campaign, the 2022 doubles champs have certainly had better performances than this.

Can they turn it around in the second set?

9:11pm SINNER SIMPLY TOO GOOD FOR DUCKWORTH

After one hour and 49 minutes, Jannik Sinner made his way into the third round, having beaten Australian wildcard James Duckworth in straight sets (6-1, 6-4, 6-2).

The World No. 2 was dominant on his serve, having won 86% of his first serve points for the match. That helped him control the tempo of the match from start to finish.

He'll now face American Eliot Spizzirri, who has never gone further than the second round until today, after China's Yibing Wu.

8:50pm SPECIAL K'S SET TO ARRIVE SHORTLY

With Stan Wawrinka having now won his five-set marathon, it leaves just one more match to be played on Kia Arena.

And what a match it will be with the Special K's (Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis) about to hit the court

With neither playing in the singles draw, this is the first opportunity that fans have seen them compete at the tournament.

And with that, the fans have come in their droves to see them take on fellow Aussies Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans.

It's going to be a good one, folks.

8:41pm WAWRINKA ROLLS BACK THE CLOCK WITH VINTAGE PERFORMANCE

Stan is in fact THE MAN!

In a match spanning just over four and a half hours, the 40-year-old has won a five-set marathon (4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6) against French qualifier Arthur Gea at Kia Arena.

It's been an unbelievable effort by the 2014 AO Champion to have won after being down a set on two separate occasions.

The crowd are absolutely in awe with the Swiss legend putting his arms with some disbelief.

And when asked post-match how he felt, he kept it brief.

Wawrinka: "Exhausted."

He now progresses to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2023 at Wimbledon.

8:33pm DUCKWORTH SHOWS SOME FIGHT

He might have still lost the set, but it was a much-improved performance by the Australian wildcard.

Having lost the first set 6-1, James Duckworth was able to stay within the fight throughout the majority of the second set.

He was that close; he even had a break point opportunity against Jannik Sinner in the second game.

But by the seventh game, the World No.2 would finally get on top and get the all-important break.

This sees the reigning champ win the second set 6-4.

8:26pm DJOKOVIC OPENS UP ON HIS "FAVOURITE FRIEND" IN MELBOURNE

Novak Djokovic has always been one who has embraced some superstitions.

Following his second-round win over Italy's Francesco Maestrelli, he has spoken about one that he's been using in Australia, which involves a trip to the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens.

And it's there you can find what he describes as his "favourite friend from Melbourne", which happens to be a fig tree.

Having won 10 Australian Opens, it's hard to argue that it hasn't helped him in some way.

8:07pm OSAKA CLAIMS OPENING SET

She only got two break point chances. But Naomi Osaka doesn't need much to get ahead.

She was absolutely clincial during those pressure moments having won both of them to win the set 6-3.

7:42pm SINNER STARTS STRONGLY

After only playing two sets in his opening match, Jannik Sinner was bursting to get out onto Rod Laver Arena.

And in 26 minutes, he has already won the first set against Australian James Duckworth, 6-2.

The Italian has won 86% of his first serve points, and it doesn't look like it will drop by much.

7:31pm STAN THE MAN IS GOING ALL THE WAY

Could this be the final time we see Stan Wawrinka at Melbourne Park?

Well, we're about to find out.

He has entered the fifth and deciding set at Kia Arena against Frenchman Arthur Gea after the 2014 AO Champion won the fourth set 7-5.

And he's off to a flyer having broken the qualifier's serve in the second game to lead 2-nil.

7:25pm ATTENDANCE FOR DAY 5 (DAY SESSION)

66,675 people have come for the day session of the First Thursday at the Australian Open.

That is a record attendance for the first Thursday (Day session), having beaten the previous record of 60,398, which was set last year.

7:12pm OSAKA WALKS ONTO COURT

Just a short moment ago, there were numerous eyes fixated on Margaret Court Arena with what Naomi Osaka would be wearing as her pre-match outfit.

The Japanese superstar caused many double takes (myself included) as she entered the court for her first round match on Rod Laver Arena wearing a white wide-brim hat, veil, skirt and umbrella designed by Robert Wun above her teal jellyfish-inspired dress.

For the second round against Romania's Sorana Cirstea, she did without the umbrella and hat but did keep the white skirt underneath.

It's certainly going to be a storyline to follow throughout the tournament.

7:02pm AO PAYS TRIBUTE TO BONDI VICTIMS

With today being the National Day of Mourning for the Bondi terrorist attack, the Australian Open has paid tribute to those who were victims of the horrible tragedy.

Across the precinct, there would be a minute's silence to remember the 15 lives lost.

Flags outside Margaret Court Arena were also pulled to half-mast to pay respects.

May the victims and events of December 14th never be forgotten.

6:30pm WILL SERENA WILLIAMS UNRETIRE FROM TENNIS?

Tennis legend Jim Courier has made a bold prediction that Serena Wiliams is planning a return to the tour.

The 23-time grand slam champion, who retired in September of 2022, has rejoined the Whereabouts program - an app which all professional athletes must be registered on in order for drug testers to know their location one hour of every day.

Williams, 44, has recently denied she has any plans to resume her career, but Courier isn't buying it.

"You have an app, it's called the Whereabouts program. So you give one hour a day when you have to be there," Courier told Channel 9.

"Most players do it at 6am or 7am in the morning when they know they're going to be either in their hotel room or in their house, wherever they are going to be in the world because it's literally 365 days a year.

"It's a huge hassle. The players all moan and groan about it... if you check out of a hotel, if you don't change that on your app and they show up at your door that counts as one missed test. And if you miss three tests during the course of 12 months, that's the same as failing a drug test so you are out for a while.

"So no person that doesn't have intentions to play professional tennis is going to put themselves in that list, especially someone who has as much experience doing it as Serena Williams.

"Serena denied she's coming back, but I think unless she gets injured there is no doubt she's going to play somewhere at some point.

"Whether that's the mixed doubles at the US Open, whether that's doubles with her sister (Venus) somewhere, whether it's singles, only she knows. But there's no other way to interpret that."

6:08pm THOUSANDS OF FANS QUEUED UP TO TRY AND SEE THE SPECIAL K'S

When the schedule for Day 5 dropped on Wednesday, many eyes were squared upon Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis for their first round match in the men's double.

While many were expecting their opening match to be on John Cain Arena, Aus Open organisers have decided to place that match instead on the main showcourt in Kia Arena.

And with that decision, fans have been lining up all day for what will be the final match on the court.

The current match on Kia Arena between Arthur Gea and Stan Wawrinka still has at least another set to go.

But that isn't stopping people queueing up as far as the eye can see for a chance to see these two in action against fellow Aussie Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans.

4:50pm INGLIS WINS THREE HOUR THRILLER

For just the second time in her professional career, Maddison Inglis is through to the third round of the Australian Open.

The 28-year-old has beaten German journeywoman Laura Siegemund (6-4, 6-7, 7-6) after winning the 10-point match tie break (10-7), as the crowd at ANZ Arena goes nuts.

It's also now the second time in her career that she has beaten a top 50 player, showing how big an achievement this is for her.

This means she is set for at least $327,750 in career earnings and pushes her world ranking into the 130s.

And having come through qualifying, it makes the win that extra bit sweeter.

4:15pm DJOKOVIC THROUGH TO THE THIRD ROUND

Novak Djokovic is into the Round of 32 at Melbourne Park for the 17th time in his professional career by beating Italy's Francesco Maestrelli in straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-2).

And a trip to the Round of 16 seems even more likely as the Serbian has never been knocked out in the third round of an Australian Open during his professional career.

That means either the Netherlands' Botic Van de Zandschulp or China's Juncheng Shang will have the unenviable task of trying to beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

4:03pm DAY 6 SCHEDULE RELEASED

The Day Six schedule has been released and sees Australia's highest-ranked singles player return to the tournament's centre court.

World No. 6 Alex de Minaur will once again open the night session out on Rod Laver Arena against No. 29 seed and American Frances Tiafoe.

That will be followed by World No.8 Mirra Andreeva as she takes on Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

That will mean that both World No.1s, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, will play their third round matches against Corentin Moutet and Anastasia Potapova during the day session on RLA.

3:53pm WILDCARD FALLS SHORT IN DECIDING SET

And after 1 hour and 44 minutes, the Aussie wildcard Taylah Preston has been bundled out of the women's singles draw by Linda Noskova (6-2, 4-6, 6-2) on Kia Arena.

After dropping the first, the 20-year-old from Western Australia managed to work her way back into the match, having claimed a vital break/set point.

But the No. 13 seed showed her quality in the final set by breaking Preston in the first game, which set the precedent for the remainder of the set.

Noskova will either play Jelena Ostapenko or Xinyu Wang in the Round of 32.

3:44pm INGLIS OFF TO A THIRD SET

Maddison Inglis is now forced to play a third set against Laura Siegemund if she is to make the Round of 32.

After breaking Siegemund's serve in the 11th game, she only needed to hold her serve to progress to the third round.

But the 37-year-old German returned the favour at a packed ANZ Arena, which pushed the game into a tie break.

And the veteran was just too good having won it 7-3.

3:15pm PRESTON IS GOING THE DISTANCE

We're off to a third and deciding set at Kia Arena!

Taylah Preston has responded after losing 2-6 to claim the second set 6-4 against No. 13 seed Linda Noskova.

While she missed out on a break point chance in the sixth game of the set, Preston made sure to capitalise on the opportunity during the 10th game, which saw her win the set.

It's anybody's match now.

2:57pm BREAK POINT CHANCE GOES BEGGING FOR PRESTON

Gee, Taylah Preston would surely want a do-over after her performance in the sixth game.

Having lost the first set in convincing fashion (6-2), the 20-year-old started to come into her own during the second, with her opponent, Linda Noskova, struggling with her first serve.

And it looked like she was going to finally get a chance to break Noskova's serve with three break points in the sixth game of the second set to go 4-2.

Instead, the No. 13 held her nerve as she won the next four points, and it's tied at 3-3.

2:35pm SWEENY KNOCKED OUT WITH EASE

A straight-sets loss (6-3, 6-2, 6-2) against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton sees Dane Sweeny's singles campaign come to an end on Day 5.

The American, who got the job done in one hour and 42 minutes, was dominant from start to finish.

Whether it was hitting 19 aces to Sweeny's zero or Shelton's 38 winners, the boy from Penrith was simply outclassed in every aspect of the match.

Despite the result, the qualifier will be happy to have achieved a win in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

2:25pm INGLIS NABS OPENING SET

While Aussies Dane Sweeny and Rinky Hijikata have had their struggles out on court, one Aussie is bucking the trend.

Against Germany's Laura Siegemund, qualifier Maddison Inglis has just claimed the first set, 6-4, with a lovely backhand at ANZ Arena.

The Western Australian is now just a set away from making the third round, which would equal her career-best performance at a Grand Slam, which she achieved in 2022 at Melbourne Park.

2:14pm TURNBULL SLAMS HOST BROADCASTER OVER JOINT COVERAGE

Nine-time grand slam winner Wendy Turnbull has slammed Channel Nine for piling too much pressure on Australia's Maya Joint.

Within the last two years, the 19-year-old has risen up the ranks to now sit at a career-high ranking of 31, which saw her seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in her professional career.

However, the Australian was unable to make the most of it, having lost her first round match-up against the Czech Republic's Tereza Valentova in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).

While Joint has vowed that she'll come back stronger, the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame member believes that the pressure put on her by the host broadcaster in the build-up to the grand slam may have had an impacted her performance.

“I’m going to say something negative at the moment,” Turnbull said to News Corp.

“I just thought that, you know, when I saw the ads on TV for Maya … that’s a lot of pressure to put on somebody. Admittedly she’s the number one Australian.

“It’s like putting all your eggs in one basket by just promoting one person, and the poor person, you know, she’s only top 40.

“There are a lot of other Australian girls battling out there, but to put that pressure on Maya – I looked at it as pressure on her, and I said, ‘that’s a little unfair’.

“She is not a top 10 player. That is a lot of pressure, so I felt, you know, when I saw the ad I thought I hope she does well in the Aussie Open."

Joint is still competiting in the tournament. She'll join forces with fellow Aussie Storm Hunter in the women's doubles.

They play Priscilla Hon and Ashlyn Krueger in the first round on Court 12.

1:55pm SWEENY NEARING AO EXIT

Ben Shelton is making light work of Dane Sweeny out on John Cain Arena.

The No. 8 seed has just won the second set (6-2) within 25 minutes, with a straight-sets win looking highly likely now.

1:40pm WILDCARD'S RUN COMES TO AN END

After a straight-sets win over Adrian Mannarino in the first round, Rinky Hijikata has been knocked out following a four-set loss to Valentin Vacherot (6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2) on Kia Arena.

The Aussie wildcard struggled with his ball speed, with a notable speed difference between their serves.

That speed difference saw Vacherot have 36% of his serves unreturned compared to Rinky's 23%.

It now means that the Monegasque in his first Australian Open main draw has progressed into the third round.

He'll be keeping an eye on John Cain Arena now to find out his opponent for the third round.

The No. 30 seed will either play No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or Aussie qualifier Dane Sweeny.

1:30pm SWEENY LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER SET BACK

The Aussie qualifier who beat Gael Monfils in the first round is up against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton.

And it's going about as well as you would expect at John Cain Arena.

The American managed two breaks in with his serve, proving too much to handle for the 24-year-old, having won 6-2.

And Sweeny has just been broken in the first game of the second set, which does not bode well for his chances of a giant upset.

1:10pm HIJIKATA GETS IMPORTANT BREAK AND SET

Rinky Hijikata gets his first break of serve for the match, and the Kia Arena crowd is up and about for him.

With the third set tied at 4-4, the Aussie wildcard stayed in the game, forcing some errors out of Valentin Vacherot.

And with the No. 30 seed putting it in the net, he leads 5-4 with the chance to serve for the set.

And he closes out the set with a forehand winner to go into a fourth set.

Don't count out the 24-year-old just yet.

12:53pm OSAKA'S JELLYFISH STUNT BRANDED HYPOCRITICAL BY TENNIS ICON

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has been accused of hypocrisy, by former slam champion Boris Becker.

The 28-year-old broke the internet earlier this week as she made an "iconic" entrance to Rod Laver Arena in a jelly fish inspired costume complete with hat, veil and umbrella.

While acknowledging how daring the Japanese star was to make such a bold entrance, Becker said the stunt was contradictory to Osaka's previous comments regarding her privacy and the pressure of fame.

"The way she entered the court is already iconic. No other player has dared to wear such an outfit. But she did.

"But there is also a contradiction: on the one hand, she doesn't want to be under so much pressure, she doesn't want to be in the public eye and in the media so much – and then she comes onto centre court in an outfit like that.

"Of course, that puts her back in the public spotlight. I would point out that she also needed a mental break a few years ago.

‘For me, it's generally important that the focus here is on the sport."

All eyes will certainly be on what she wears out to Margaret Court Arena tonight when she plays Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

12:40pm WILDCARD'S STRUGGLES CONTINUE

Rinky Hijikata is staring down the barrel of a straight-sets loss on Kia Arena against Monaco's Valentine Vacherot.

After losing the first set 6-1, the 24-year-old wildcard did improve ever so slightly during the start of the second to see himself 3-3.

But after Hijikata double-faulted on a break point, Vacherot took the lead and won the remaining games to win the set 6-3.

It now means that the New South Welshman will have to go the distance if he is to make the third round.

12:25pm REIGNING CHAMP KEEPS BACK-TO-BACK CHANCES ALIVE

Madison Keys has once again made her way into the Round of 32 at Melbourne Park.

While she cruised in the first set to win 6-1 against fellow American Ashlyn Krueger, the second set proved to be challenging after the 2025 champ was broken when the set was tied at 2-2.

Krueger broke again to then take a 5-2 lead.

But the No. 9 seed used her composure to recover and win the next five games to claim the set 7-5 and continue her run.

Keys will play either Karolina Pliskova or Janice Tjen in the third round.

12:00pm HIJIKATA ON THE ROPES EARLY

It's not the start that Rinky Hijikata would have been hoping for to begin his second-round match against Valentin Vacherot on Kia Arena.

The No. 30 seed wins the first set within 32 minutes (6-1), having hit 13 winners compared to the Aussie wildcard on five.

There was also a notable difference in serving speed with the Monegasque man serving at an average of 199 kilometres per hour in the first set compared to Hijikata's 172.

11:25 DJOKOVIC STATUE?

The debate that just won't die.

Tony Jones - in what some might say is a last ditch and thirsty attempt to get Novak Djokovic and his fans to forgive him - has reignited the debate over whether the Serbian star deserves a statue at Melbourne Park.

“They will one day have a statue in his honour,” Jones said on Channel 9.

“Anyone who has won 10 titles deserves a statue.”

It's a long way from his previous comments about the 38-year-old who he last year described as "overrated" and a "has been".

Djokovic has won 10 titles in Australia and 24 slams overall, but lost a significant level of support in 2022 amid the deportation saga.

His 2022 campaign was ended before it even started after he was deemed to have breached Australia's COVID-19 rules.

10:09am: "Ignorant drunks" called out

Davidovich Fokina didn’t miss when asked about an issue with “ignorant drunks” during his victory over Reilly Opelka on Wednesday.

The five-set, four-hour slog fest was interrupted by a group of fans who may have enjoyed a few too many beverages, with the Spaniard claiming they were cheering when he slipped and fell.

“It can happen here, it can happen wherever in the world,” he said afterwards.

“So there were four ignorant drunks that I can do nothing about. Nothing more.

“I twisted my ankle and he won the point. And I think it’s not fair for me they cheered that point because maybe I could get twisted worse.”

At one stage, chair umpire Nico Helwerth climbed down from his seat to address the fans in question.

He then made an announcement over the mic.

“Please, ladies and gentlemen, for everybody in the stadium, keep it fair for both our athletes,” he said.

“They’re trying their best out here. Please, we’re playing a tennis match, all right? Thank you very much.”

9:15am: "Toxic lockeroom"

Danil Medvedev was asked about what it's like to be sharing a locker room with your biggest rivals and if he's ever had any awkward encounters.

He said that while there are a handful of players on the tour that perhaps he isn't friends with, it's a largely positive environment compared to the toxicity of yesteryear.

Referring to stories he has heard from his coaching team of Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the world No 12 said: "I heard that 20 years ago it was as toxic as it could be," he said. "That's what they (his coaches) say.

"I have heard some stories from Thomas but I am never going to reveal them. I was shocked.

"I was like, that's why you guys finished your careers early because it's constant pressure.

"He told me stories where you wake up, you're under pressure. You get to the locker-room, you're under pressure.

"Our locker room is great, it's very chill, very relaxing. You see Alcaraz and Sinner sharing jets or whatever. it's good, it makes us enjoy the tour.

"It's super friendly. In the court we can - never fight - but we can have a chat there. Maybe there is two or three guys in the top 100 you don't like but in general it's a friendly atmosphere."

The Russian is up against Fabian Maroszan in the third round.