Djokovic left the court in a blaze of controversy after his fourth round match against Jiri Lehecka refusing to the customary on-court interview after winning 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The 24-time Grand Slam winner then revealed in a video posted on his X page that he had done so in protest of comments made by the “famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster, Channel Nine”.

“A couple of days ago, a famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster, Channel Nine, here in Australia made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” he said. “Since then, he chose not to issue any public apology, neither did Channel Nine. Since they are the official broadcaster, I chose not to give interviews to Channel Nine.

Djokovic said that he had nothing against Jim Courier, who was slated to the conduct the on-court interview. “I have nothing against Jim Courier and the Australian public, and it was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today,” he said.

Tony Jones apologises to Novak Djokovic

The journalist in the firing line was Channel Nine’s Tony Jones. In a piece to camera, Jones seemed to be sledging the Serbian fans, although he himself said at the end of it that he knows they can’t hear him. “Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out,” he sang back at them.

The 63-year-old has since apologised publicly and said that he reached out to Djokovic and his camp on Saturday to do the same directly as well. “I considered it to be humour, which is consistent with most things I do,” Jones said before play started 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 … I do apologise if he felt that I disrespected him.”

Jones acknowledged that regardless of what his emotions were at the time that he made the comments, he is aware that “overstepped the mark” and of the effect it had with respect to Djokovic’s detention and ban before the 2022 Australian Open.