Djokovic Acknowledges Apology from Australian Media: Focused on Upcoming Match
2 months ago | 5 Views
Novak Djokovic responded on Monday to the public apology issued by Australian media broadcaster Tony Jones, expressing his readiness to "move on" from the incident and concentrate on his upcoming match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open.
ment from Tennis Australia, it was noted that Djokovic "acknowledged" the public nature of Jones's apology, which followed comments made on-air that were perceived as "insulting and offensive." Djokovic felt that Jones had "mocked" Serbian fans during a live television broadcast the previous week. This prompted Djokovic to forgo the on-court interview following his fourth-round victory on Sunday.
The statement read, "Novak Djokovic acknowledges that the apology has been publicly issued as requested and is now moving forward to focus on his next match."
Earlier on Monday, Jones extended his apology to the 24-time Grand Slam champion during the Today Show. He mentioned that he had attempted to reconcile with Djokovic on Saturday after realizing that his remarks had not been well received by the ten-time Australian Open champion.
The remarks were made during the news segment on Friday night, which I perceived as light-hearted banter. I regarded it as humour, which aligns with my usual conduct, 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 reached out to the Djokovic camp and extended an apology to them—48 hours ago—for any offence that Novak may have felt I caused.
"As I stand here now, I reaffirm that apology to Novak. It is also important to note that the disrespect was, in many respects, directed towards the Serbian fans. We have cultivated a positive relationship with the Serbian fans... there is a playful exchange, and I believed my actions were a continuation of that. Clearly, that was not how it was perceived. I feel as though I have disappointed the Serbian fans. This has been an unfortunate circumstance."
Djokovic is set to compete against Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at the Rod Laver Arena.
