The prime minister joked the crowd was probably protesting a line call when an image of him on the big screen at Rod Laver Arena drew verbal volleys on Sunday.

"It's a great tradition. I would be disappointed if they didn't," Mr Morrison told reporters in Cairns on Monday.

"Bob Hawke and everyone else got the same treatment at games."

In recent years Mr Hawke has been popular at the cricket, with the SCG crowd cheering his beer-skolling antics during Tests.

After visiting the tennis to watch Ashleigh Barty's fourth-round victory over Maria Sharapova, Mr Morrison announced a $12 million funding boost for women's tennis.

AFL supporters also tackled the prime minister at the MCG in September, giving him a vocal kicking at the Richmond-Hawthorn qualifying final.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott was given a frosty response when introduced after the 2014 NRL grand final between South Sydney and Canterbury.

But it's not just conservative PMs who feel the wrath of sporting crowds.

Kevin Rudd was booed at an NRL game in Canberra in 2010 with Raiders' fans having a crack at the Brisbane Broncos supporter.

Australian Associated Press