During Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz, the Serbian star’s entourage was seen covering up a television camera.
Early in the match, as the camera focused on Djokovic’s family in the crowd, including his wife Jelena, a man seated nearby quickly jumped up and tried to block the lens.
This moment followed a media controversy involving Djokovic and Australian broadcaster Channel 9. The 24-time Grand Slam champion had recently criticized Channel 9 sports journalist Tony Jones for making “offensive” remarks about him and his supporters. In a video posted on social media, Djokovic explained why he chose not to do a post-match interview after his win over Jiri Lehecka.
“Hey guys, thank you all for your support,” Djokovic said. “It was a great match against Lehecka, who’s in form. I’m looking forward to my next match with Carlos, but I want to address something that happened earlier.”
Djokovic continued: “The reason I didn’t do the post-match interview, which is usually standard practice, is because a few days ago, a prominent Australian sports journalist made insulting and offensive comments about me and Serbian fans. I was hoping for a public apology, which hasn’t come from him or Channel 9, and that’s why I decided not to do the interview.”
He added: “It was a tough moment for me, and it felt awkward on court. I respect Jim Courier and always enjoy speaking with him.”
Tony Jones, the Channel 9 host, later apologized to Djokovic. He had previously called the tennis star “overrated” and suggested he should be “kicked out” of the Australian Open. Jones explained that he thought his comments were lighthearted banter but quickly recognized they were taken the wrong way. He issued an apology, both to Djokovic and to his fans, acknowledging that he had inadvertently disrespected them.
Jones stated, “I stand by the apology if Novak feels disrespected, and I genuinely feel for the Serbian fans.”
