- Pat Cash says the crowds at the Australian Open have gotten out of hand
- There have been several clashes between unruly fans and players
- Cash says Australians need to have more respect for players
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The behavior of the crowd at the Australian Open has been thrust into the spotlight as tennis legend Pat Cash slams 'out of control' fans in an upcoming documentary.
Australia's Open, an ABC TV documentary airing on Tuesday evening, explores the dark side of the country's biggest annual global sporting event.
The crowd's raucous behavior at the event has irritated many players in recent years, but tennis fans are divided. Some like the rowdiness and others find it disrespectful.
“I think the Australian public has gone a bit out of control over the last decade,” Cash said.
“Encourage your fellow countrymen, no problems, but they do not represent your country, they are individual and I think we should understand that.”
Pat Cash (pictured at Wimbledon last year) thinks Australian tennis fans got out of control at the Australian Open
The crowd's raucous behavior at the event has increased in recent years, with several stars complaining about drunk and rowdy fans
'Special K' tennis stars Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis received huge local support in 2022, with crowd antics even surprising the pair as they won the men's doubles title.
“You are a zoo,” Kyrgios said of the crowd.
In 2023, there were a series of clashes between unruly fans and players at Melbourne Park, with four drunken fans being sent away for persistent bickering against world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
Canadian player Denis Shapovalov also had a heated argument with a spectator at the Australian Open during his second round match against Japan's Taro Daniel.
A frustrated Shapovalov complained to the chair umpire that the fan appeared drunk and had interrupted a rally.
“We should have more respect for the international players who come here,” Cash said.
'We also have to accept that if it goes too far, there is a chance that these players will say: 'I'm not going to Australia anymore.' If I go there I will be mistreated. What's the point of that?''
British star Liam Broady also suffered from the noisy Australian crowd in 2023.
Nick Kyrgios described the crowd at Melbourne Park as a 'zoo' as he and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the 2022 men's doubles title (pictured)
Djokovic lashed out at drunkenly cheering fans in the crowd at the 2023 event
“Everyone told me, 'Oh, you know, you're really going to enjoy it, it's going to be great,'” Broady said.
“But I absolutely hated it.”
The documentary also explains how the 2022 Djokovic-COVID-19 saga also brought the event – and Australia as a whole – a barrage of unwanted attention.
Djokovic was forced to leave Australia just days before he was due to take the court defending the Australian Open because he entered the country unvaccinated during pandemic border restrictions.
“We were trying to do our best… It was growing every day,” Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley said.
'The Australian Open had never had this level of exposure in every media outlet worldwide – and just not something we particularly wanted in those circumstances. But you know, that comes with the territory.”