Furious tennis fans want spectator BANNED from the Australian Open for obscene display targeting Novak Djokovic

 Fans want spectator banned for making obscene gesture Man made 'bras d'honneur' sign during Djokovic's match Gesture is also known as the 'Bosnian coat of arms'

Furious tennis fans want a spectator banned from the Australian Open for making an offensive gesture during Novak Djokovic’s first round match against teenage rival Dino Prizmic.

Djokovic’s opening round match was played over a gruelling four hours as the Croatian wildcard won the second set 7-6 and pushed the Serb all the way before suffering a four-set defeat.

Djokovic was full of praise for his opponent afterward and ushered him to the centre of the court to appreciate the ovation from the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

However, some fans watching at home were outraged by a gesture made by a fan who was seemingly supporting the young Croatian player.

The man makes a ‘bras d’honneur’ – or arm of honour – gesture, which involves putting a fist up and putting the other arm into the crease of the elbow.

Novak Djokovic got his campaign underway with an uncomfortable 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4 victory over hugely impressive Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic – and there was drama in the crowd

The sign in many parts of the world roughly translates to ‘up yours’ but has a deeper meaning in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, where it is known as bosanski grb (‘Bosnian coat of arms’) after the territorial coat of arms of Bosnia.

The coat of arms features a red, armoured arm holding a sword with the elbow bent at roughly 90 degrees.

Djokovic had just lost the second set in a tiebreak when the spectator made the offensive gesture.

‘Hey @AustraliaOpen – is this tolerated behaviour?’ wrote one fan on X after seeing footage of the fan.

‘@AustralianOpen do the right thing and ban this individual from ever setting foot on your premises again,’ replied another.

‘A terrorist in disguise,’ wrote a third.

‘Insane level of hatred. Is this a tennis fan @AustralianOpen?,’ said another.

Tensions over the fierce and long-running rivalry between Serbia and Croatia have surfaced at the tournament before.

In 2007, scores of Serbian and Croatian fans were ejected from the Australian Open on the opening day for being involved in a massive brawl in the concourse area.

Last year Open security guards were called racist when one allegedly tried to take the Serbian flag from a group of supporters after mistaking it for Russia’s national symbol, which was banned from display at the time.

A Djokovic fan was also seen brandishing a fascist symbol during the world No.1’s men’s singles final against Stefanos Tsitsipas last year.

Djokovic was very complementary of his opponent after the match and believes Prizmic has a very bright future ahead of him.

‘He deserves every applause, every credit he got tonight,’ he said. ‘He is an amazing player, I must say, so mature for his age. He handled himself on the court so well.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina coat of arms in (pictured) looks similar to how the offensive gesture is performed

Djokovic was full of praise for his young opponent after the match

The Serb superstar believes Prizmic has a very bright future ahead of him

‘This is his moment. He fought, he showed great mentality, resilience, he made me really run for my money for sure tonight.

‘Honestly, I have many praises for him, many compliments for him, I love the way he is using every inch of the court, he defends incredibly well.

‘Amazing performance for somebody who is 18 years old, big kudos for him and his team, his family and I certainly want to be in his corner if he invites me because we will see some big things from him in the future.’

Prizmic, who was born six months after Djokovic made his grand slam debut in January 2005, offered the 24-time grand slam winner a reality check as he enjoys the twilight of his career.

‘When you think about it I am double his age, wow, reality hits hard tonight.

‘I struggled in many different moments tonight but it is credit to him for his incredible game plan.

‘I had good moments, some moments I wish I could have played better.’