It’s been revealed exactly why Channel Nine and Australian Open bosses were blindsided by Novak Djokovic‘s dramatic boycott – as the broadcaster beefs up security around Tony Jones.
The drama began on Friday night when Jones stood in front of a group of chanting Serbian fans on live TV and sledged the 24-time grand slam champion.
‘Welcome back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans, they’re in full voice,’ Jones said. ‘The chants are quite extraordinary.’
He then turned round to face them and pantomimed some sledging chants of his own: ‘Novak, he’s overrated,’ Jones sang. ‘Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out.
‘Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me. Anyway, let’s get onto the tennis.’
When Jones returned to work the next morning, Serbian press had already contacted Channel 9 seeking comment on the matter, News Corp reported.
Channel Nine and Australian Open bosses believed they had the Djokovic-Jones drama contained over the weekend
Novak Djokovic is pictured refusing to be interviewed after his victory on Sunday night at the Australian Open
The broadcaster quickly moved to get an apology out.
‘Unfortunately, my ‘humour’ the previous evening was misinterpreted as an attack on Novak,’ Jones told SportKlub.
‘That was certainly not the case. I joke with the Serbian fans throughout the tournament and this — at least I thought so — is a continuation of all that.
‘If you watch our Morning Show, you would get an idea of how we work. At no point did I think to show disrespect to Novak and I apologise — there was certainly no intention to offend him.’
Meanwhile, Tennis Australia was reportedly in ‘crisis management mode’ and had reached out to Djokovic’s team and explained how Jones had apologised. They thought that was the end of the matter.
Jones had even offered a face-to-face personal apology, but it wasn’t thought possible with the Serb superstar’s scheduling.
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley, who is believed to be very close with Djokovic, didn’t speak directly with him.
Organisers at the Grand Slam thought that the situation had been handled – and so did Channel 9.
Tennis Australia reached out to Djokovic’s team and explained how Jones had apologised for his comments
Channel Nine star Tony Jones pictured delivering a public apology on Monday morning
What a shock they got on Sunday night after Djokovic’s straight-sets win over Czech Jiri Lehecka when said he would refuse any interviews with the tournament’s host broadcaster Channel Nine until he received an apology.
Jones made an on-air apology on Monday to the 24-time Grand Slam winner during live Australian Open coverage.
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Tuesday additional security arrangements have now been put in place by Nine and tennis authorities.
Djokovic is due to play Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday evening, and extra security is also being put in place for that match.
Meanwhile, the incident has seen Jones get slammed by some of the biggest names in tennis – and attract support from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
The owner of Tesla and X re-tweeted a video Djokovic posted as he explained why he walked off when Nine commentator Jim Courier tried to interview him, with Musk writing: ‘It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media.’
Djokovic replied by writing ‘Indeed’ accompanied by the raising hands emoji.
Former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka was one of several tennis greats to slam Jones.
Djokovic will take on Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday evening
‘The audacity to call Novak Djokovic overrated by a reporter is just insane,’ she wrote on X.
‘The guy literally completed tennis by winning everything you can in our sport!’
She was joined by six-time grand slam champion Boris Becker, who wrote on X: ‘That’s actually very disturbing behaviour from a tv broadcaster who works for Channel 9… does he still have a job for the rest of the tournament?’
Former Aussie star Darren Cahill, who now coaches world No.1 Jannik Sinner, also backed Djokovic’s boycott.
‘He [Jones] hosts the Footy Show, which is quite a funny, laughing, breakdown football show for Australian Rules football, which is very popular,’ he explained for ESPN’s American audience.
‘He’s been in the industry for years and years. I’m sure Tony was trying to be funny but it was inappropriate and I don’t blame Novak for taking offence to that.’
Nick Kyrgios – who blasted Jones on Sunday by writing, ‘Coming from this clown – couldn’t run around a park this bloke’ – doubled down on Monday after the star’s apology.
‘Why is it always the most un athletic people calling out the best athletes in the world,’ he commented on X, along with a loudly crying face emoji.
