Ben Shelton criticises 'embarrassing' and 'disrespectful' broadcasters at Australian Open

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy US tennis player Ben Shelton claims that he has been “shocked” by the actions of TV broadcasters at the Australian Open, calling some of the interviews “negative” and “disrespectful”. Shelton’s comments come just a few days after Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones was forced to apologise to Novak Djokovic after jokingly saying on air that the Serbian was “overrated” and a “has-been”. Shelton misunderstood the comment, asking: “Was that a black joke?” The second interview came after his quarter-final win against Lorenzo Sonego, when the interviewer stated that the “crowd are going to be on the other guy’s side” for Shelton’s semi-final as he would be playing either world number one Jannik Sinner or home hopeful Alex de Minaur. “Today on the court, ‘Hey, Ben, how does it feel that no matter who you play in your next match, no one is going to be cheering for you?’ I mean, it may be true, but I just don’t think the comment is respectful from a guy I’ve never met before in my life.” The 22-year-old finished his conference saying: “I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments.