Featured Image Credit: 9news
Topics: Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic, Tennis, Australian Open
Ben McCrum
A veteran Wimbledon reporter has been removed from coverage this year after a public row with tennis legend Novak Djokovic.
Having won an amazing 24 majors, including seven Wimbledon titles, there can be no doubt that Djokovic is one of the great, if not the greatest, tennis players of all time.
Heading into Wimbledon this year, the 38-year-old knows that he has perhaps his best chance of the year to add 25th Grand Slam title to his record, matching that of Roger Federer.
But with his last major win coming at the US Open in September 2023, some fans and pundits have suggested that Djokovic's best days are behind him, and we have now entered a new era led by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper.
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However, there is one reporter that took this claim a bit too far, causing Djokovic to hit out publicly and eventually potentially him being removed from the coverage of Wimbledon this year.
During the Australian Open back in January, Tony Jones, a reporter who has worked for Australian broadcaster Channel Nine for decades, was massively critical of Djokovic and Serbian fans.
As fans of the Serbian player began singing chants ahead of his match, Jones joined in, singing: "Novak, he's overrated, Novak's a has-been."
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The reporter then appeared to reference Djokovic being deported from Australia during the competition in 2022 due to visa issues after he failed to comply with COVID-19 rules.
"Novak, kick him out... Boy, I'm glad they can't hear me," Jones added.
Reacting to the comments, Djokovic later refused to give a post-match interview to former finalist Jim Courier who was working for Channel Nine during the tournament.
"I would like to just clarify the reason why the interview was not conducted on the court," Djokovic said in the post-match press conference.
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"A couple of 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.
"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."
Shortly after, Jones swallowed his pride and issued an apology both to Djokovic and Serbian fans live on air.
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"I'm disappointed it comes to this because the comments were made on the news on Friday night which I considered to be banter and humour, which is consistent with what I do.
"However, 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.
"I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them, 48 hours ago, for any disrespect which Novak felt I had caused.
"As I stand here now I stand by that apology to Novak if he feels any disrespect, which he clearly does.
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"The disrespect extends to the Serbian fans – over the years here there has been colour with them and passion and banter, and I thought that was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly that hasn't been interpreted that way.
"I do feel I've let down the Serbian fans. I'm not just saying that to wriggle out of trouble. I genuinely feel for those fans."
Although Djokovic later said that he had accepted the apology and wished to move on from the matter, it appears that this apology may not have been enough for Channel Nine, as Jones was surprisingly omitted from Channel Nine's Wimbledon coverage this year.
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