"I know crowd wanted him to win more, I still love you guys"- When Novak Djokovic joked after beating Jo-Wilfred Tsonga for 1st Australian Open title

Novak Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open and said that the crowd were more in support of his opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Djokovic entered the tournament as the third seed and reached the final after straight-set wins over Benjamin Becker, Simone Bolelli, Sam Querrey, Lleyton Hewitt, David Ferrer and Roger Federer. In the title clash, he came back from a set down to defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

During the trophy ceremony, Djokovic said that he loved the crowd despite them wanting Tsonga to win more.

“I know the crowd wanted him to win more... it’s OK. It’s all right. I still love you guys — don’t worry. I’m very, very happy that I won my first Grand Slam here, so hopefully we’ll see you here on this stage a lot more often," the Serb said.

The then-20-year-old reiterated his views during the post-match press conference. Djokovic said that the crowd was more behind Tsonga, which he believed was understandable since the Frenchman was a youngster and was unseeded entering the final.

"Well, this is something that you got to fight against, you know, just try to keep your head in the match. As I said after the match, you know, the crowd was more behind him. In one way, it's okay. You know, it's understandable. Everybody has a right to decide who they gonna cheer for. He's an attractive player," Djokovic said.

"You know, he's a young one. He's unseeded coming to the finals. Obviously, they wanted to support him. But I think I had enough support, you know. Even though there was, you know around my box and in my box, all together about 20 or 30 people. I think they were screaming incredibly throughout all the match and really helped me out," he added.

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Novak Djokovic has 10 Australian Open titles to his name

The Serb in action at the Australian Open

Djokovic is the most successful male competitor in the history of the Australian Open, with 10 titles to his name. Only Margaret Court has more titles than the Serb at the Melbourne Major.

After his first triumph in 2008, Djokovic did not win the Australian Open until 2011 when he beat Andy Murray in the final. The Serb successfully defended his title in 2012 by edging out Rafael Nadal in one of the greatest tennis matches of all time.

Djokovic won his fourth trophy in Melbourne and third on the trot by beating Andy Murray in the 2013 final. The Serb also beat Murray to win his titles in 2015 and 2016.

Novak Djokovic has triumphed in every Australian Open he has taken part in since 2019, only missing out on 2022 because he did not compete. The World No. 1 won the 2023 edition of the Melbourne Major by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the title clash.