A mom accused of snatching Novak Djokovic's shirt from a teenage tennis fan auctioned it for charity Friday because she had been "abused and threatened" over the incident, her upset husband said.
And the garment was snapped up for AU$5,500 (US$5,877) — by the mother of the young Djokovic diehard at the center of the controversy.
Yael Rothschild put the shirt up for sale in a radio charity auction following a backlash after footage of her intercepting it in front of 14-year-old Melissa Cook went viral online.
The teenager claims the Serbian star threw his sweaty shirt to her following his Australian Open final win over Spain's Rafael Nadal in Melbourne, and that Rothschild grabbed it out of the air — an allegation the Australian mother-of-three hotly denied, arguing she had caught it fairly and had been one of around 20 people scrambling for the garment.
Raymond Rothschild said Friday morning he was disappointed at the abuse his wife had received since footage of the incident spread.
"My wife has been vilified in the social media and by some traditional media as a result of misunderstanding over the shirt of Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic," he said. "Our home address has been broadcast on Facebook and this has led to personal abuse and even threats."
Raymond Rothschild said that before Djokovic threw his shirt into the crowd in celebration his wife had shouted to the world No. 1, "Can I have it for my daughter?"
Earlier this week, Yael Rothschild had vowed to keep the shirt, saying, "I'm a huge fan."
Money raised from the auction will go to The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a national charity that aims to protect children from violence.
