Why did Novak Djokovic's team censor his own match by blocking cameras?

During the recent Australian Open quarter-final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, a member of Djokovic's camp caused controversy by covering up television cameras.

As the tennis match started, cameras were trained on members of Djokovic’s family sitting in the player’s box including his wife and their two children. Despite this normal part of televised matches, especially with high-profile players, a member of Djokovic’s team was seen blocking the camera lens with a sweatband.

The box area at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne always has a camera installed in the front row, to capture the emotions of the players' families during the match. However, straight after Djokovic won the opening game, his business advisor Mark Madden walked up to the camera and slipped a sweatband over it, obscuring his wife Jenna and his children, aged seven and nine.

There is an argument that the players’ boxes, especially when children are present, should be granted privacy, while others believe it’s reasonable to film all members of the crowd.

While the reason behind the censorship is not yet known, it comes shortly after Djokovic was offended by Australian media Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones, who made comments referring to Djokovic as a “has-been” and “overrated” calling for officials to “kick him out.”

The 24-time Grand Slam winner boycotted an on-court interview with Channel 9 after his fourth-round win in Melbourne, and later clarified that it was because of the comments made by Jones.

Elon Musk took to X to respond to Djokovic’s behavior, saying: “It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media".

Jones has since issued an apology. “As such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. And as I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak… I do apologize if he felt that I disrespected him.”

No stranger to controversy, Djokovic has been vocal about his anti-vaccination views, and also believes that just holding bread makes you physically weaker.

It’s ironic that the most high-profile person in tennis believes they are owed privacy during a quarter-final of a grand slam tournament, especially, as he points out after the match, that at 01:00, they should probably have been in bed.

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