Djokovic Receives the Apologies He Wanted and Shifts Focus to Alcaraz Match


Serbian Novak Djokovic has received the apologies he sought from the official broadcaster of the Australian Open tennis tournament in the host country and the presenter who offended him on-air. According to the tournament organizers, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is now ready to focus on his upcoming match against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.



A statement issued by Tennis Australia on Monday read: "Novak has acknowledged that the apology was made publicly as required. He has now shifted his focus to his next match."


Djokovic refused to give the usual post-match interview after his victory over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday, which secured his spot in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.


He later explained that he had declined the interview with Channel Nine (the tournament's official broadcaster in the host country) due to the "offensive and insulting comments" made by sports presenter Tony Jones the previous day, mocking Serbian fans.


The controversial incident saw Tony Jones mocking a group of Djokovic supporters by singing: "Novak is overrated, Novak is a thing of the past, Novak, get him out."


Djokovic added that he would continue to avoid speaking to the channel unless an apology was issued by them and by Jones.


The apologies came on Monday.

Channel Nine issued a statement apologizing "for any offense caused by the comments made" on-air.


The channel added: "There was no intention to harm Novak or his fans. We look forward to showcasing his campaign at the Australian Open more at Melbourne Park."


On Monday, Tony Jones publicly apologized to Djokovic and his supporters, saying that his comments were meant to be playful.


Jones said on the "Today" show on Channel Nine: "Those comments were made during the Friday night news, and I took them as a bit of fun. I thought they were a joke, which is in line with most of the things I do."


Jones also mentioned that he had apologized to Djokovic's camp on Saturday morning "for any offense Novak felt I caused. I stand here to reaffirm my apology to Novak."


He added, "I should also say that disrespect was directed, in various ways, at the Serbian fans... We’ve built a good relationship with Serbian fans... There was playful teasing. So I thought what I was doing was an extension of that playful teasing. Clearly, it wasn’t understood that way."


Jones acknowledged that he crossed a line when he said, "Get Novak out," referencing 2022 when the Serbian star was detained and deported from Australia for not having the COVID-19 vaccine amid the country’s strict entry restrictions during the pandemic.


Jones added, "That angered Novak, and I fully understand that now."


The Serbian ambassador to Australia, Rad Stefanovic, also intervened on Monday, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that Jones' comments "were completely unprofessional."


Before Channel Nine and Jones issued their apologies, Djokovic had posted a message on social media reiterating why he had refused to speak. That message received a response from billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the platform X, who said: "It’s much better to speak directly to the audience rather than going through the negativity filter of traditional media."


Djokovic replied to Musk’s tweet with the phrase "Indeed" and a raised-hands emoji.