A leading TV presenter issued an on-air apology on Monday to Novak Djokovic after mocking the 24-time Grand Slam champion and his Serbian supporters during the Australian Open. He expressed regret over the misunderstanding, calling it an “unfortunate situation.”
The remarks, initially intended as banter, sparked controversy and led Djokovic to boycott a routine post-match interview.
The 37-year-old tennis legend declined to participate in the customary on-court interview after his straight-sets victory over Jiri Lehecka at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday evening, securing a spot in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic later explained his decision was a protest against Tony Jones, a leading sports presenter for Channel Nine, accusing him of making “insulting and offensive comments” about him and his Serbian fans.
Djokovic announced he would avoid interviews with the broadcaster until an apology was issued.
On Monday, Jones addressed the issue, saying, “The comments were made during the news on Friday night, and I intended them as banter—humour in line with what I usually do. However, I was informed by Tennis Australia via Djokovic’s camp on Saturday morning that they were deeply unhappy with those remarks.”
Jones said he promptly reached out to Djokovic’s camp and apologised. “I issued an apology to Novak 48 hours ago for any disrespect he felt I caused. Today, I want to publicly reiterate that apology,” he said.
The incident took place during a live broadcast from Melbourne Park on Friday, where a group of Djokovic supporters waving Serbian flags cheered in the background. In response, Jones jokingly sang, “Novak, he’s overrated … Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out.”
Jones later admitted that he “overstepped the mark” with the final remark, reported the Guardian.
Reflecting on his comments, Jones acknowledged they were offensive. “The disrespect extended, in many ways, to the Serbian fans as well. We’ve established a good rapport with the Serbian supporters, and I thought my remarks were a continuation of that light-hearted banter. Clearly, they were not received that way.”
“I feel I’ve let down the Serbian fans,” he added. “It’s an unfortunate situation, and I regret the misunderstanding.”
