Novak Djokovic winning in the third round of the Australian Open isn’t anything particularly notable. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has done it plenty of times. However, following his win over Jiri Lehecka, he notably skipped the on-court interview that usually happens right after, which was extremely notable.
Turns out, Djokovic is refusing to speak with anyone from Australia’s Channel 9, the official broadcaster of the event, until one of its prominent announcers apologizes for comments he made about him.
“Couple days ago. the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” Djokovic told reporters at the press conference following his victory over Lehecka. “And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9. So, since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.”
The incident Djokovic is referring to took place Friday night when broadcaster Tony Jones mocked a group of Serbian fans who were chanting Djokovic’s name during a live broadcast.
“Novak is overrated … Novak’s a has-been … Novak kick him out,” he chanted in response. “I am glad that they can’t hear me.”
So for anyone wondering why Djokovic left abruptly, the interviewer works for the same TV (Channel 9) as this guy, Tony Jones, who disrespected him, his fans, and Serbia. He acknowledged the fans and left. pic.twitter.com/4Z46KMlOfd
— Nzeugma ❄️ (@nzeugma_) January 19, 2025
Jones also caught heat earlier in the week for calling Danielle Collins a “brat.”
Djokovic also skipped the traditional on-court interview Sunday before his quarterfinal showdown with No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz, reaffirming that it was due to a lack of an apology from Jones and Channel 9.
A few words about what happened on court. pic.twitter.com/jRof2npiwH
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 19, 2025
“I have nothing against [on-court broadcaster] Jim Courier or neither the Australian public,” said Djokovic. “It was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today. It’s unfortunate I chose to say something to the crowd, but obviously wasn’t the time and space or situation for me to explain what I’m doing right now.
“I leave it to Channel 9 to handle this the way they think they see fit. That’s all.”
The tennis star also said that he has spoken with Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley about the situation and said it is okay if they want to fine him.
“I just wanted to make sure, as I have really nice relationship with Craig, I think he’s a phenomenal guy that always tries to help players and understand the players’ needs or demands, so I just wanted to make sure that he knows where I stand and the reasons behind it,” he said. “So I told him, you know, If you guys want to fine me for not giving an on-court interview, that’s okay, I’ll accept that ’cause I feel like this is something that needs to be done. That’s all there is to it.”
Neither Channel 9 nor Jones have commented on Djokovic’s comments or demand for an apology.
