"Nadal gets the eyeballs because people genuinely love him, unlike Djokovic" - Tennis fans react to poor TV ratings for 2023 Australian Open final

The 2023 Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas was a record-breaking moment for the former. Djokovic decimated Tsitsipas in straight sets to lift the 10th Australian Open title of his career, in the process also equaling Rafael Nadal's overall record of 22 Majors.

But according to the latest numbers released by ESPN, the final averaged just 439,000 viewers in the US. That makes the 2023 Australian Open men's singles final the least-watched men’s final in at least a decade.

The viewership was also 36% less than that of the 2022 Australian Open final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev (689,000 viewers).

Tennis fans, however, were not surprised by the abysmal ratings of the season's first Grand Slam men's final.

Several turned to social media to reflect on this year's low ratings, with some touching upon the amount of hatred people have for the Serb as well as the Greek.

"People like watching people they like and admire."

Another fan claimed people prefer watching Nadal, Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz etc., play rather than Novak Djokovic, stating that it's not easy to "cheer" for the 10-time Australian Open winner.

"Who wants to watch those two. People like watching Rafa, Roger, Alcaraz, Ruud, Fritz, Tiafoe. Djokovic is not an easy player to cheer for. I always watch Major finals and I didn't watch this match. I did watch the Lady's final."

One Twitter user also credited Nadal's absence for the low ratings, citing the immense popularity of the men's final of 2022 for comparison. They were of the opinion that fans dislike Djokovic because of his "antics."

"Where r the howling djokovic fans now?! Rafa Vs meddy was one of the most watched finals ever in AO history! Rafa gets the eyeballs & viewership coz ppl genuinely love him, unlike with djokovic, where they simply don’t like the guy coz of his antics. Not my opinion just facts."

At the same time, many also suggested that Djokovic's dominance at the Australian Open could have been a reason for the drop in numbers, as fans might not want to watch a match they knew was not going to be a close contest.

"Its because of Novak’s domination. The result was very clear," one fan wrote.

Below are a few more fan reactions:

Where will Novak Djokovic play next?

The Serbian maestro is currently on cloud nine, having won the 10th Australian Open title of his career while also making a return to the top spot in the ATP singles rankings.

Djokovic is currently scheduled to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships up next, with the ATP 500 tournament set to be held at the end of February. However, it remains to be seen whether he will take part in the tournament, given that he played with a hamstring injury throughout his campaign at Melbourne Park.