Tony Jones has issued an apology to Novak Djokovic after comments the veteran broadcaster made at the Australian Open led to the Serbian tennis star boycotting Channel Nine’s coverage of the tournament.

Djokovic opted not to give a customary on-court interview after beating Jiri Lehecka on Sunday to move into this year’s quarter-finals, before revealing he would not speak to the host broadcaster until he received an apology from Jones.

Jones, according to the 10-time Australian Open champion, “made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me” during a segment on Friday evening’s news show.

Jones said on Monday he had reached out to Djokovic and his camp on Saturday to apologise for making comments he considered to be “banter”.

“I considered it to be humour, which is consistent with most things I do,” Jones said before play starts at Melbourne Park on day nine of the year’s first grand slam. “Having said that, I was made aware on the Saturday morning from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.

“As such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. And as I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak.”

Jones also acknowledged the impacts his comments had on Serbian fans.

“They come here with the flags and they provide so much colour and so much passion and there was banter, so I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter,” he said. “Quite clearly that hasn’t been interpreted that way. So I do feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”

More to follow.