WATCH: Novak Djokovic asks umpire to remove 'drunk' fan from stands at Australian Open

Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic was left fuming on January 19 after a 'drunk' fan continually provoked him during his second-round match against Enzo Couacaud. After repeatedly being harassed, the Serbian approached the chair umpire during the fourth set and requested that the 'drunk' fan is removed from the stands.

'He's not here to watch tennis': Novak Djokovic

As seen in the video below, Novak Djokovic can be heard telling the chair umpire, "The guy is drunk out of his mind. From the first point, he’s been provoking me. He's not here to watch tennis, he just wants to get in my head, you heard him at least 10 times, I heard him 50. What are you going to do about it? Why don't you get security to get him out of the stadium?" The fan and his friends were eventually told to leave the stands at the end of the second game of the fourth set which lasted 12 minutes and 14 seconds.

As for his match against Enzo Couacaud, Djokovic beat the 191st-ranked French qualifier by a scoreline of 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0. This was the Serbian's 23rd consecutive win at the Australian Open, a streak that paused a year ago when he couldn’t play in the tournament because he was not vaccinated against COVID.

Djokovic confident of winning 10th Australian Open

Ahead of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic explained how he was confident of winning a record-extending 10th title in Melbourne Park provided he could cope with the hamstring issue that was bothering him. "I always like my chances," said the Serbian (as quoted by aus.open).

Speaking about the same, he went on to add, "I train as hard as really anybody out there. There are a lot of youngsters now that are very hungry, that want to win. They want to take a scalp off you in the big stadium. I know that. Experience of being in these kinds of particular circumstances helps, I think, to have the right approach and do things in a proper way because I know when I'm healthy and playing my best, on this court I have chances really against anybody."

(Inputs from AP)