Novak Djokovic has received the public apology he sought from both the local broadcaster and the employee who made insulting remarks about him during the Australian Open. According to tournament organizers, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is now ready to focus on his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz.
In a statement released on Monday, Tennis Australia noted that Djokovic “acknowledges the apology has been made publicly, as he requested,” and he is now moving forward with his preparations for the next match.
This apology likely brings an end to the off-court controversy surrounding Djokovic as he aims for his 11th title at Melbourne Park and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory.
After winning his match at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, Djokovic chose not to participate in the typical post-match interview, sparking some boos from the crowd. It wasn’t until his press conference later that he explained his decision: he had chosen to skip the interview as a protest against comments made by Tony Jones of Channel 9 on Friday.
Novak Djokovic, the 37-year-old Serbian tennis star, did not specifically name Tony Jones but referred to a “well-known sports journalist” from Channel 9, the official broadcaster. Djokovic claimed the journalist mocked Serbian fans and made disrespectful and offensive remarks about him.
Tony Jones had called Novak Djokovic “overrated” and a “has-been,” and also seemed to make a reference to Djokovic’s deportation from Australia in 2022 due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19.
In response, Djokovic stated that he would continue to avoid speaking to Channel 9 unless both the network and Jones issued an apology.
The apology finally came on Monday. Nine Network released a statement expressing regret for any offense caused by the comments made during the live broadcast. The statement emphasized that no harm was intended towards Djokovic or his fans and expressed eagerness to continue covering his Australian Open campaign.
On Monday, Tony Jones appeared on a TV show and explained that his comments about Novak Djokovic were intended as “banter,” not disrespect. He apologized to Djokovic “if he felt that I disrespected him,” adding that he thought his remarks were humorous, as is often the case with his style. Once he learned that Djokovic’s camp was unhappy with his comments, Jones immediately reached out to apologize to them and reiterated his apology to Djokovic.
Jones also expressed regret to Serbian fans, stating, “I do feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans,” emphasizing that his apology was sincere and not an attempt to escape trouble.
Serbia’s ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, also weighed in, criticizing Jones’ remarks as “clearly unprofessional,” particularly a concerning reference to Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia due to the COVID-19 vaccination issue.
Before Jones and Channel 9 issued their apologies, Djokovic posted on social media to explain why he skipped the post-match interview. Billionaire Elon Musk responded, suggesting it was better for Djokovic to speak directly to the public rather than going through the “negativity filter” of traditional media. Djokovic agreed with Musk’s comment, replying with “Indeed” and a raised-hands emoji.