MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic received the apologies he had requested from the Australian Open’s local broadcaster and an employee who had insulted him live on air. Following these reconciliations, tournament officials confirmed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion is poised to focus on his upcoming matchup against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
“Tennis Australia acknowledges that the requested public apology has been given and Novak is now moving forward to concentrate on his next match,” stated an official announcement on Monday. This resolution may now close the chapter on an unusual off-court episode as Djokovic aims for his 11th title at Melbourne Park and his overall 25th Grand Slam victory.
After securing a win at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, which set him up for a clash against World No. 3 Alcaraz, Djokovic chose not to participate in the traditional on-court interview, leaving fans to speculate about his decision, which resulted in some mockery from the audience. It was only later at the press conference that he explained his choice to abstain from talking to the media was a form of protest against comments made by Tony Jones of Channel 9 on Friday.
The 37-year-old Serbian did not directly name Jones during his remarks, but he indicated that a well-known sports journalist from the official broadcaster made derogatory remarks regarding Serbian fans and directed offensive comments towards him personally. Jones had allegedly called Djokovic “overrated” and labeled him a “has-been,” also referencing the controversial deportation incident in 2022 linked to Djokovic’s vaccination status against COVID-19.
Djokovic maintained that he would refrain from engaging with Channel 9 until both the network and Jones issued an apology — which finally materialized on Monday. The Nine Network conveyed in their statement that they were sorry for any offense caused by the comments made during the broadcast. “No harm was intended towards Novak or his fans,” they stated, expressing their eagerness to continue covering his campaign at the tournament.
During an interview on a television program that same day, Jones insisted that his comments were made in jest and expressed regret if Djokovic felt disrespected. “I viewed it as humor, aligned with my usual style,” he noted. “However, I was soon informed that the Djokovic camp was quite displeased, and I reached out to apologize to them. I stand by that apology.”
Jones also extended his sentiments to Serbian fans, acknowledging that he did not intend to offend and expressing genuine regret for letting them down. “I truly feel for those fans,” he remarked.
In support of Djokovic, Serbia’s ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, publicly criticized Jones’s comments, labeling them “clearly unprofessional” and finding a particularly troubling reference to Djokovic’s history in Australia.
Before receiving apologies from Jones and his network, Djokovic had voiced his feelings on social media regarding the incident, which prompted a reaction from billionaire Elon Musk. Musk stated, “It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media.” Djokovic responded affirmatively to Musk’s remarks with a simple, “Indeed,” accompanied by a raised-hands emoji.
