Tennis star Novak Djokovic has accepted an apology from veteran broadcaster Tony Jones after making comments at the Australian Open that led to the Serbian player boycotting Channel Nine’s coverage of the tournament.
Jones, a 10-time Australian Open champion, made insulting and offensive comments towards Djokovic during a live broadcast on Friday evening. The remarks sparked outrage among fans, with video of the segment quickly going viral.
In an apology, Jones said he had “made a mockery” of Serbian fans but believed his comments were intended as “banter”. He later reached out to Djokovic and his camp on Saturday to offer a formal apology, acknowledging that his words were “insulting and offensive”.
Channel Nine also issued a public apology for any offense caused by Jones’ comments. Tennis Australia confirmed that Djokovic has accepted the apology and is now moving forward.
The controversy overshadowed Djokovic’s chances of winning an 11th Australian Open title, with many calling for more respect in sports commentary. Tennis greats Boris Becker and Viktoria Azarenka expressed their disapproval of Jones’ behavior, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for kindness and generosity across the board.
Djokovic is set to face third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the match of the tournament so far on Tuesday night.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jan/20/novak-djokovic-tony-jones-channel-nine-journalist-apologises-australian-open-2025-ntwnfb