Fans at the Australian Open were criticized on Sunday after it was revealed that they boo the mention of a coronavirus vaccine explosion during the final trophy award for men.
The rumble took place after Jayne Hrdlicka, chairwoman of Tennis Australia, remarked during the presentation that the global vaccination efforts were a sign of optimism after a “deep loss and extraordinary sacrifice for all.”
“With vaccinations on the way in many countries around the world, now is a time for optimism and hope for the future,” she continued before the crowd began to roar in Rod Laver Arena.
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Additional calls resounded after Hrdlicka thanked the Victorian government, which instructed residents last week to have a quick five-day closing time amid fears of outbreaks. Hrdlicka finally stopped her speech and said to the crowd, “when you’re done.”
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack called the crowd’s behavior ‘disgusting’ on Monday.
“I do not like handcuffs at any event, and certainly not at any sporting event,” he told reporters, according to the BBC. “This vaccine is going to bring our country back to a kind of pre-Covid normality.”
Others took to social media to speak out against the behavior of the crowd.
“It was really an awkward speech. Very angry about the vaccination of coronavirus vaccines. Bonkers,” MetroUK tennis journalist George Bellshaw wrote.
“I really can not believe what I just saw. The final crowd of the Australian Open likes the Covid vaccine. #AusOpen“replied the sports journalist James Gray.
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“The crowd was disgraceful … the worst I’ve seen. Screaming during rallies, twice bowing during the trophy ceremony. Even Medvedev had to tell them at one point that they should keep quiet,” another user wrote .
Serbian Novak Djokovic, left, holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup as he talks to runner-up Daniil Medvedev after winning the men’s final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday 21 February 2021. (AP Photo / Andy Brownbill)
The rumble took place after Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to win his ninth Australian Open championship and 18th Grand Slam title on Sunday. The no. 4-seeded Medvedev tried to collect his first Grand Slam title.
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Australia, meanwhile, kicked off the first phase of its vaccination program on Monday, the broadcasting company reported. Crowds of anti-vaccination activists marched in Australian cities on Saturday to protest its implementation.