Novak Djokovic speaks to the crowd following victory against Jiri Lehecka. Photo / Getty Images
Novak Djokovic speaks to the crowd following victory against Jiri Lehecka. Photo / Getty Images
Novak Djokovic says he will not do any more on-court interviews at the Australian Open after accusing a leading anchor at the host broadcaster of making “insulting comments” about him and Serbian people, for which the journalist Tony Jones has since apologised.
The 10-time Melbourne champion refused todo a regular post-match chat after beating Jiri Lehecka in three sets on Rod Laver Arena to make the quarter-finals.
Instead, he took the microphone from interviewer Jim Courier, made a quick statement thanking the crowd and walked off to a smattering of boos.
Djokovic explained the decision in a post-match press conference.
“Couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel Nine here in Australia made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” he said, not naming him but appearing to reference Tony Jones.
“And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel Nine. So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel Nine.
“I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public,” Djokovic added.
“It was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today.”
Jones on Monday morning spoke out during an interview on Nine’s Today Show
He claimed he had already apologised to the Serbian star’s camp more than 24 hours before Djokovic’s walk-off, but reiterated that he meant no disrespect toward him.
“If I could just give you a bit of a timeline here — the comments were made on the news on the Friday night, which I considered to be banter. I considered it to be humour. Which is consistent with most things I do, whether it be the Sunday Footy Show or on the morning show or here.
“Having said that, I was made aware on Saturday morning from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp, that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.
“As such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them, so this is 48 hours ago.
“But any disrespect that Novak felt that I caused and as I stand here now I stand by that apology to Novak if he felt any disrespect, which clearly he does.”
Novak Djokovic speaks to the crowd following victory against Jiri Lehecka. Photo / Getty Images
He pointed to three words that apparently angered Djokovic the most.
“I think the one thing where I overstepped the mark, and this is certainly what’s really sort of angered Novak Djokovic and his camp is the last comment that I made in that back and forth with the crowd, ‘Kick him out’,” Jones said.
According to local media, Djokovic’s supporters were angered on Friday when Jones made fun of them and the 24-time grand slam winner while on air, calling the Serb a “has been”.
“Welcome back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans, they’re in full voice. The chants are quite extraordinary,” he said.
Novak Djokovic surged into an Australian Open quarter-final clash against Carlos Alcaraz with a dominant victory on Sunday while women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka was a ruthless winner.
Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world number three Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight.
On the hottest day of the tournament so far, with temperatures hitting 34C, Alcaraz went through when Britain’s Jack Draper retired injured.
The 37-year-old Djokovic then secured a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Czech 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the prime-time match on Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic is anticipating a “big battle” against Alcaraz on Tuesday.
“The kind of matches that I played against him remind me of my match-ups versus [Rafael] Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court,” he said.
Djokovic appears to be growing into the tournament in an ominous sign for his rivals, as he pursues a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and historic 25th Grand Slam title.
He dropped a set in each of his opening two matches but has won the previous two in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic. Photo / Getty Images
Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times, with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final.
But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success.
“When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again ... it’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape,” said Alcaraz, who has vowed to get a kangaroo tattoo if he wins the Australian Open for the first time.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne, was leading 7-5, 6-1 when Draper pulled the plug.
Draper had come through all three of his previous matches in five sets, and all from 2-1 down, and it appeared to have taken its toll.
“It’s not the way I wanted to win, but obviously I’m happy to play another quarter-final here in Australia,” said Alcaraz.
The 23-year-old Draper, whose rise has been held back by issues with his body, said his hip injury had been a “ticking time bomb” and he had “multiple areas really in pain”.
American 12th seed Tommy Paul destroyed Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the loss of just three games as he bids to match or better his semifinal appearance from 2023.
Paul will meet German second seed Alexander Zverev, who survived a mid-match wobble to oust France’s Ugo Humbert.
Zverev, who is zeroing in on a maiden Grand Slam title, won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Gauff dropped a set for the first time in 2025 but extended her unbeaten streak to 13 matches going back to last year’s WTA Tour Finals.
“Two out of three sets at this stage of my career is not that physically hard for me,” said the 20-year-old Gauff, who is chasing a first Melbourne title.
“The off-season I just put in so much work physically so I’m not worried at all about recovering emotionally or mentally.”
Badosa declared she “loves” Gauff but said that will not prevent her looking for “revenge”.
The pair have a 3-3 head-to-head record but Gauff won both their meetings in 2024, with each going to three sets.
The last time was in the semi-finals of the WTA China Open in Beijing, where Gauff won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on her way to lifting the title.
