India, Jan. 20 -- Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion from Germany, has expressed his support for Novak Djokovic following the latter's objections to remarks made by an Australian broadcaster, which Djokovic deemed "insulting and offensive" towards him and a "mockery of Serbian fans." Becker, who served as Djokovic's coach from 2013 to 2016, questioned whether the broadcaster would continue to be employed by the network for the duration of the tournament.

Djokovic exited the court amid controversy after his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka, opting to forgo the traditional on-court interview after winning with scores of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The 24-time Grand Slam champion later shared a video on his X page, explaining that his decision was a protest against comments made by a "well-known sports journalist associated with the official broadcaster, Channel Nine."

"A few days ago, a well-known sports journalist from Channel Nine here in Australia ridiculed Serbian fans and made insulting and offensive remarks about me," Djokovic stated. "Since then, he has not issued any public apology, nor has Channel Nine. As they are the official broadcaster, I decided not to give interviews to Channel Nine."

Djokovic clarified that he held no grievances against Jim Courier, who was scheduled to conduct the on-court interview. "I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public, and it was a very uncomfortable situation for me to confront on the court today," he remarked.

The journalist at the center of the controversy was Tony Jones from Channel Nine. In a segment, Jones appeared to mock Serbian fans, although he claimed at the end that he was aware they could not hear him. "Novak, he's overrated. Novak's a has-been. Novak, kick him out," he taunted back at them.

The 63-year-old has publicly expressed his regret and indicated that he reached out to Djokovic and his team on Saturday to extend his apologies directly. "I viewed it as humor, which aligns with much of my behavior," Jones stated prior to the commencement of play at Melbourne Park on the ninth day of the year's inaugural grand slam. "However, I was informed on Saturday morning by Tennis Australia, through the Djokovic camp, that they were quite displeased with those remarks.

Consequently, I promptly contacted the Djokovic camp to convey my apologies. As I stand here now, I reaffirm that apology to Novak. I sincerely apologize if he perceived my comments as disrespectful."

Jones recognized that, irrespective of his feelings at the time of his remarks, he understands that he "overstepped the mark" and acknowledges the impact of his comments regarding Djokovic's detention and ban prior to the 2022 Australian Open. 

For any inquiries related to this article or other content needs, please reach out to the Editor at contentservices@htdigital.in HT Digital streams Ltd.

Read Also: Mohammed Siraj Set to Compete in Final Ranji Trophy Match After Champions Trophy Omission

"Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!"