Veteran sports presenter Jones of Australia’s Channel 9 sparked controversy at the Australian Open when he mocked Novak Djokovic during a live broadcast on Friday. Taunting Djokovic fans, Jones chanted, “Novak, he’s overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak, kick him out,” before adding, “Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me.”
Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion aiming for his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title, declined an on-court interview after his fourth-round win against Jiří Lehečka. Addressing the incident on social media, Djokovic said, “A famous sports journalist here from Australia…decided to mock Serbian fans and made offensive comments towards me. I was hoping he would apologize publicly, but he hasn’t yet, nor has Channel 9.”
On Monday, Jones publicly apologized to Djokovic and his fans on Channel 9’s Today program, admitting, “The comments were made in what I considered to be humor…but I’ve since realized the Djokovic camp was unhappy. I immediately issued an apology to them.”
Nine Network also issued an apology, stating, “No harm was intended towards Novak or his fans. We look forward to further showcasing his Australian Open campaign.”
According to Tennis Australia, Djokovic has acknowledged the apology and is now focused on his upcoming quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz. This high-stakes clash at Melbourne Park is a repeat of last year’s Wimbledon and Paris Olympics finals, with Djokovic on track to potentially claim his 25th Grand Slam title, surpassing Margaret Court’s record.
Speaking about the incident, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, calling for “more respect, kindness, and generosity.” Jones later admitted he “overstepped the mark” and expressed regret for his comments, emphasizing that his focus now is on broadcasting and Djokovic’s focus should return to the court.
Source: Swifteradio.com
