Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has publicly apologized to Novak Djokovic and Serbian tennis fans following controversial remarks made during a news segment on Friday. Jones admitted his comments, which included calling Djokovic “overrated” and a “has-been,” crossed the line, prompting backlash from the tennis star and his supporters.
The incident stemmed from Djokovic’s decision to skip the customary on-court interview after his fourth-round victory at the Australian Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion later clarified that this was a protest against Jones and Channel 9, the event’s host broadcaster. Djokovic stated he would not engage with the network until they issued a public apology.
Appearing on Channel 9’s Today show on Monday, Jones addressed the controversy:
“The comments were made on the news on Friday night, which I considered to be banter,” Jones explained. “I considered it to be humor, which is consistent with most things I do. Having said that, I was made aware on 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 can only stand by that apology to Novak if he felt any disrespect, which quite clearly he does.”
Jones acknowledged that his “kick him out” remark, a perceived reference to Djokovic’s deportation over his vaccination status in 2022, was particularly inappropriate. Djokovic, who had been unable to defend his Australian Open title that year due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, has since spoken about the emotional toll of that experience, describing it as traumatic.
“I feel I overstepped the mark,” Jones admitted. “It has been an unfortunate situation—one of personal angst for Novak and personal angst for me as well. The priority now is to focus on the tennis again. I do apologize if he felt I disrespected him.”
In addition to apologizing to Djokovic, Jones extended an olive branch to Serbian fans, whose vibrant support has become a hallmark of the Australian Open:
“We’ve built up a nice rapport with the Serbian fans. They bring flags, and so much color and passion. There is banter, and I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly, that has not been interpreted that way. I feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”
Djokovic explained his stance in a video posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and reiterated his reasons during his post-match press conference. He emphasized the need for respect and accountability in public discourse.
This is not the first time Jones has faced criticism for his commentary. American player Danielle Collins referenced Jones in her post-match comments after her third-round defeat to Madison Keys, noting he had previously labeled her a “brat” during a radio segment.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the situation during an interview with ABC, calling for more respect in such exchanges:
“I think Novak Djokovic is certainly a fine tennis player. There’s no question about that. And I do think that there is a place for more respect. We need more kindness, generosity, and respect across the board. I think that’s what people are looking for.”
Djokovic, now aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title, will face No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.
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