Australian broadcaster apologises to Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, received an apology from an Australian broadcaster for his “insulting and offensive” comments made on television.

Channel Nine’s Tony Jones shouted “Novak, he’s overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out” towards Djokovic fans while live on air at the Australian Open on Friday.

Due to Channel Nine’s role as the tournament’s official broadcaster, Djokovic decided not to speak on court again after Sunday’s fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka.

Afterward, Djokovic claimed that Jones had “made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments toward me” at a press conference.

According to Jones, “I’m disappointed it come this because the comments were made on the news on Friday night, which I thought was banter and humor,” Jones said on Channel Nine on Monday.

” However, 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.

“I immediately reached out to the Djokovic camp and apologized to them 48 hours later for any disrespect Novak felt I had caused.

As I am standing right now, I will continue to hold onto Novak’s apology if he exhibits any disrespect, which he unmistakably does.

“The disrespect extends to Serbian fans because there has been color with them, passion, and banter here, and I thought that was an extension of that banter.” That hasn’t obviously been interpreted in that way.

Djokovic, a 10-time champion at Melbourne Park, plays Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Channel Nine also apologised, saying” no harm was intended towards Novak or his fans”.

The Serbian Council of Australia has called for Jones to be sacked, saying his comments were” offensive, racist and only serve to incite further discrimination of Australian-Serbs”.

Jones said he particularly felt he had” overstepped the mark “with his” kick him out “comment – which he accepted could be interpreted as a reference to Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia because of the country’s Covid-19 regulations.

” That has angered Novak – I completely understand that, “said Jones.

It’s been a tragic circumstance for Novak and for both of us, both personally and professionally. Now, concentrating on tennis is the top priority. I hope he can concentrate on that because of his amazing match.

“I can only tell Novak what I told him 48 hours ago, which is that I apologize if I disrespected him.”

” I agreed to meet him in person, they came back and yes, that hasn’t transpired yet but I hope it will happen in the next 24 hours. “