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Novak serves Nine slap: “I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.”

Updated: Serbian tennis champion is awaiting an apology from Channel Nine over on-air remarks by Tony Jones.

“Thank you very much for being here tonight, I appreciate your presence and support and I will see you next round, thank you very much.”

They were the parting words by Novak Djokovic to Nine commentator Jim Courier, before walking off court to audience booing.

But after defeating Jiri Lehecka the Serbian spoke to Eurosport, and then gave a statement in his post-match press conference.

“I would like to just clarify the reason why the interview was not conducted on the court, the post-match interview, like it’s a common, usual practice,” Djokovic said.

“Couple days ago the famous sports journalist (Tony Jones) 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. 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. I have nothing against Jim Courier or neither the Australian public.

“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.”

In front of chanting Serbian fans Jones had shouted, “Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out!” before adding “I’m glad they can’t hear me.”

Nine has previously been contacted for comment.

Updated:

“Unfortunately, my ‘humour’ the other night was misinterpreted as an attack on Novak,” Tony Jones has told Serbian outlet Sport Klub.

“That was certainly not the case. I’ve been joking with Serbian fans throughout the tournament and this is – at least I thought so – a continuation of that.

“If you watch our morning show, you’ll get an idea of how we work. At no point did I mean to show any disrespect to Novak and I apologise – there was certainly no intention to offend him.”

News.com.au reports he also said on the Today Show:

“If I could just give you a bit of a timeline here — the comments were made on the news on the Friday night, which I considered to be banter. I considered it to be humour. Which is consistent with most things I do, whether it be the Sunday Footy Show or on the morning show or here.

“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, so this is 48 hours ago.

“But any disrespect that Novak felt that I caused and as I stand here now I stand by that apology to Novak if he felt any disrespect, which clearly he does.”

He also apologised to the Serbian fans he heckled in the interview with Nine sport presenter Clint Stanaway.

“I should also say the disrespect was extended, I guess in many ways, to the Serbian fans,” Jones said.

“And as you know being here for the last seven years, we have built up a nice rapport with the Serbian fans. They come here with the flags and they provide so much colour and so much passion – and there was banter.

“So I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly, that hasn’t been interpreted that way. So I do feel as though I have let down the Serbian fans. I’m not just saying this to wriggle out of trouble or anything like that. I genuinely feel for those fans.”

He said there were three words that angered Djokovic the most.

“I think the one thing where I overstepped the mark, and this is certainly what’s really sort of angered Novak Djokovic and his camp is the last comment that I made in that back and forth with the crowd, ‘Kick him out’,” Jones said of the chants he directed at the fans standing in the background of the camera shot.

“I can stand here and put whatever spin I want on that, but it can only be interpreted as a throwback to the Covid years when he was kicked out.

“That has angered Novak, which I completely understand now.

“It’s an unfortunate situation. It’s been one of personal angst for Novak. It’s quite clearly personal angst for me as well. But I think the priority here now is to focus on the tennis again.

“He’s got an amazing match coming up tomorrow night against Carlos Alcaraz and I hope his focus can now be on that and my focus is now the broadcast again. I can only again tell Novak what I did 48 hours ago and that is that I do apologise if he felt I disrespected him.”

A statement on behalf of Novak Djokavic said, Novak acknowledges the apology has been given in public as requested, and is now moving on and focusing on his next match.

Source: FOX Sports

18 Responses

    1. You left out the food poisoning…men should be paid more than women…alter the composition of water and food by positive thinking…impersonating other players..hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball….tennis players being given private homes with tennis courts…and Kyrgios called him a “tool” in a tweet….then Kyrgios goes after Jones with an expletive spray. Djokovic once said you need to be arrogant, to have self confidence you get better outcome. This is tennis it’s no different to any other sport that has it’s controversies…it is just that Djokovic obviously enjoys conflict.

  1. Even by “non-apology” standards that’s pretty poor from Tony Jones and does little to quell any anger, whether misplaced or warranted, at him. I don’t think the issue here is the “banter” but the professionalism of doing that on air in a report where that context may not be apparent, especially as the host broadcaster. Indeed Novak more than most over the years has been quite willing to take the mick out of himself, but this just felt personal.

  2. What a cry baby, don’t give him air time then if he doesn’t want to give interviews on 9, it was all said in jest to the supporters and wasn’t serious commentary on his game, what a sad world where the rich throw tantrums because someone mightn’t like them.

    1. You should read the Serbian Council of Australia’s statement. They’ve lodged a complaint to the Australian Human Rights commission based on Tony Jones’ comments.

  3. I’m not sure TJ will be back for the tennis next year. Have seen Nick Kyrgios and Victoria Azarenka talking about his comments. Will any tennis players want to talk to him?

  4. Seems like a cultural difference. TJ was just taking the P#ss out of him, an Aussie thing to do. He was doing a live cross to Nine News, not on the Tennis telecast so I think the Tennis players should stop being so precious. Maybe Mike Amor and Rebecca Madden should have a say on this.

  5. Embarrassing, yes. The problem is that many people from other countries do not understand the bogan Aussie sense of humour. The other day Danielle Collins had a go at Jones in her press conference for him calling her a brat. He really needs to zip it when on an international stage especially.

  6. An apology needs to be issued, Jones needs to be taken off the broadcast and Nine needs to donate money to a Novak’s chosen charity to make this go away fast. Every refusal to comment makes it worse.

    1. I get the need for an apology from Jones, which he has now been given. But why on earth does Ch9 need to donate any money? For what?
      What a ridiculous over reaction.

      1. I agree…this is the latest fad and trend where precious people including Djokovic try to hold others to their questionable standards…but their own house is not in order.

      2. People are angry about it: they saw how the dog whistling Morrison Government treated this man and disgraced the nation. It is damaging Australia’s reputation. A donation is the least they can do as a responsible employer and leader in media. Especially if they continue to employ it.

  7. I’m tipping TJ is going to do a grovelling apology today.

    But as I’ve previously said, he has had some very awkward times on tv & can come across as awkward

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