Media treatment of the Australian Open competitors has been a heavily discussed topic at this year's major tournament thanks most in part to Novak Djokovic's comments about an Australian broadcaster.
Djokovic skipped his on-court interview after his third round win because of some comments Australian broadcaster Tony Jones had made about him. The 24-time major winner waited until Jones issued an apology before he began on-court interviews again. This situation opened other players' eyes to how they were being treated by certain media companies at the tournament.
American phenom Ben Shelton recently spoke about specific interviewers at this year's tournament and how he's noticed them asking some odd questions.
"I've been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters," Shelton said. "I don't think that the guy who mocked Novak, I don't think that was just a single event. I've noticed it with different people, not just myself."
Interesting end to Ben Shelton’s press conference.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 22, 2025
Unprompted, he took a moment to tear into the quality of local broadcasting and specifically on-court interviewing at #AusOpen. pic.twitter.com/ig76VrKq2C
Shelton noted the instance of Learner Tien's interview on the court after he upset Daniil Medvedev, where an interviewer asked the 19-year-old uncomfortable questions about his age and where he lived.
Shelton himself has endured some weird questions at the tournament, and he specifically mentioned the comments he was told right after his quarterfinal win over Lorenzo Sonego that set up a semifinal match vs. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. His on-court interview after his win over Sonego consisted of the interviewer telling him he likely won't be the favorite in his next match.
"Today on the court, 'Hey, Ben, how does it feel that no matter who you play in your next match, no one is going to be cheering for you?' I mean, may be true, but I just don't think the comment is respectful from a guy I've never met before in my life," Shelton said. "I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments. I feel like there's just been a lot of negativity. I think that's something that needs to change."
Shelton had an uncomfortable interview in the round before when interviewer Roger Rasheed told the 22-year-old that his opponent Gael Monfils, age 38, could be his dad. Shelton responded to this comment by asking Rasheed if "that was a Black joke," to which Rasheed said "I'm not sure."
With multiple players speaking out at this point of the tournament, we'll see if there's any change regarding some of the comments made on the court.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ben Shelton Calls Out Media’s Treatment of Players at Australian Open.
