Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones publicly apologized to Novak Djokovic and Serbian fans in Australia following the 24-time Grand Slam champion's unexpected boycott of the on-court interview after his fourth-round victory against Jiri Lehecka at the 2025 Australian Open. The Australian broadcaster, however, stated that Jones had already expressed his apologies to Djokovic on Saturday, prior to the match on Sunday at the Rod Laver Arena.

After securing a straight-set victory over the Czech player, which allowed Djokovic to equal Roger Federer's record of 15 quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open, the Serbian player declined to participate in the on-court interview with two-time Australian Open champion Jim Courier. In the post-match press conference, Djokovic explained that his decision to boycott was a response to Jones' recent remarks on air, which he found to be "insulting and offensive."

During an appearance on the Today Show on Monday, amidst calls for his resignation over the controversial statement, Jones asserted that he had made efforts to reconcile with Djokovic on Saturday by reaching out to the ten-time champion in Melbourne, prior to the incident at the Rod Laver Arena. However, following Djokovic's request for a public apology, Jones issued a new statement.

"The comments were made during the news on Friday night, which I perceived as banter. I thought it was humorous, consistent with my usual style," he stated. "However, I was informed on Saturday morning, through Tennis Australia and the Djokovic camp, that they were quite displeased with those comments. Consequently, I promptly contacted the Djokovic camp and apologized to them—48 hours ago—for any disrespect that Novak felt I had caused.

"As I stand here now, I can only reaffirm that apology to Novak. I must also acknowledge that the disrespect extended, in many ways, to the Serbian fans. We have cultivated a positive relationship with the Serbian fans... there is banter, and I believed my comments were an extension of that. Clearly, that has not been perceived in the same manner."

Channel Nine issues apology

In response to Jones' remarks, the Australian media outlet also extended an apology to Djokovic. 

Their official statement expressed: "Nine wishes to apologize to Novak Djokovic for any offense that may have arisen from comments made during a recent live broadcast. There was no intention to cause harm to Novak or his supporters. We anticipate the opportunity to continue highlighting his campaign at the Australian Open in Melbourne Park."

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