Tennis star blasts 'four ignorant drunks' in Australian Open crowd after making third round

Tensions boiled over early in the fourth set when Davidovich Fokina approached a section of the stands, gesturing directly at specific individuals.

The situation escalated to the point where the chair umpire was forced to leave his position to intervene and restore order.

Despite the heated exchange, the Spaniard managed to secure victory in the deciding set.

The flashpoint stemmed from crowd members applauding after Davidovich Fokina suffered a minor ankle injury and subsequently lost the point.

"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 worst," the Spaniard explained afterwards.

He confirmed the injury proved insignificant, causing no lasting pain or affecting his subsequent performance.

"But, no, it was a low twist. I didn't have anything. I didn't have any pain," he added.

"But at the end it was not fair that they were cheering at that point because it was a free point for him."

Davidovich Fokina was dismissive when characterising those responsible for the unsportsmanlike behaviour.

"It can happen here, it can happen wherever in the world," he remarked on the incident.

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

The victory marks just his second appearance in the third round at Melbourne Park, having previously reached this stage in 2025.

His finest Grand Slam showing remains the 2021 French Open, where he advanced to the quarter-finals.

The ankle scare ultimately had no bearing on the remainder of his performance against the towering American.

Davidovich Fokina now faces a formidable obstacle in his bid to progress further at Melbourne Park.

Tommy Paul, seeded 19th, awaits in the third round having dispatched both his opponents in straight sets thus far.

The head-to-head record offers little encouragement for the Spaniard, who has lost all four previous Tour-level encounters with the American.

Three of those defeats came at Grand Slam tournaments, making the upcoming clash particularly daunting.

Should Davidovich Fokina overcome his poor record against Paul, it would represent a significant breakthrough given the American's current form and their lopsided history.