On June 23, 2025, Australian sports anchor Tony Jones, a veteran presenter for Channel Nine, was excluded from the network’s Wimbledon broadcast lineup following a controversy involving Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open, per Express. During a live cross in January, Jones made remarks deemed “disrespectful” by Djokovic, including calling him “overrated,” a “has-been,” and saying “kick him out,” an apparent reference to Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia over COVID-19 regulations, per The Mirror. The comments sparked outrage, prompting a public apology from Jones and Channel Nine, with Jones acknowledging his “kick him out” remark was interpreted as a throwback to the 2022 incident, per Express. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, refused a courtside interview with the broadcaster until the apology was issued, per Sportskeeda.
Instead of Jones, Channel Nine will rely on London-based reporters and commentators like Todd Woodbridge, Alicia Molik, Sam McClure, and Jelena Dokic for Wimbledon, starting June 30, per The Mirror. Serbia’s ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, had condemned Jones’ remarks, stating, “Never has an Australian athlete been insulted and disrespected in such a way by the media in Serbia,” per Express. X posts, like @TennisUpToDate2, noted Jones’ exclusion, reflecting ongoing sentiment about the incident, per. Djokovic, who reached the 2024 Wimbledon final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz, is preparing to compete for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title, per BBC Sport.
