MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic successfully received the public apologies he was seeking from the Australian Open’s local broadcaster and an employee who made disparaging remarks about him during a live broadcast. Tournament officials have since announced that the 24-time Grand Slam winner is now focused on his upcoming quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz.
“Novak appreciates that an apology has been publicly issued as he requested,” Tennis Australia stated in a press release on Monday. “He is now prepared to move forward and concentrate on his next match.” This development likely brings a close to an unusual off-court controversy as Djokovic aims for his 11th title at Melbourne Park and an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title overall.
After emerging victorious at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night—a win that set him up against No. 3 Alcaraz—Djokovic opted not to participate in the standard post-match on-court interview, which drew some boos from the crowd. He later explained at a press conference that his decision was a form of protest against comments made by sports journalist Tony Jones on Channel 9 on Friday.
Though Djokovic did not mention Jones by name, he pointed to a “well-known sports journalist from the official broadcaster Channel 9” who had mocked Serbian fans and made offensive remarks aimed at him. Jones was criticized for labeling Djokovic as overrated and a washed-up player, hinting at the tennis star’s deportation from Australia in 2022 over vaccination issues.
Djokovic expressed his intention to avoid any interaction with the network until he received formal apologies. Those apologies finally came on Monday. Nine Network released a statement expressing regret for any offense caused by the comments made during the live broadcast. “No harm was intended towards Novak or his fans,” the statement assured, while also expressing anticipation for showcasing Djokovic’s performance in the tournament.
In a television appearance on the same day, Jones clarified that he had intended his words as “banter” and offered a personal apology to Djokovic if he felt disrespected. “I saw it as humor, which is typical for me,” Jones remarked. He acknowledged that Djokovic’s camp had expressed significant discontent regarding his comments and stated that he felt compelled to reach out with an apology. Jones extended his sentiments to Serbian fans, expressing remorse and stating, “I feel I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”
Furthermore, Rade Stefanovic, Serbia’s ambassador to Australia, chimed in, calling Jones’s comments “clearly unprofessional,” particularly noting a troubling reference to Djokovic’s prior deportation from the country.
Before the apologies were made public, Djokovic took to social media to reiterate his reasons for skipping media interactions, prompting a comment from Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X. Musk remarked that it is often more effective to communicate directly with the public rather than through the “negativity filter of legacy media.” Djokovic responded with agreement to Musk’s tweet, expressing his appreciation with a raised-hands emoji.
