When was the last time fans saw a player, having won a Slam match, reject the on-court interview and walk away in distress? It was on Sunday, January 19 at the Rod Laver Arena when former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic headlined after the Melbourne crowd booed him on his way out of the fourth-round contest. He won, presented a thrilling showcase, and yet received such a concerning reception. Sounds crazy, right? This story clearly needs to revisit more context.

If logic is to be dictated, Djokovic is seemingly irked with ‘Channel 9’ commentators. It all started when Australian broadcaster Tony Jones made ‘indecent’ comments about the Serbian. On Friday, moments after Nole surpassed Tomas Machac‘s challenge in the third round, his plethora of admirers engulfed the stadium with Serbian flags and banners in support of their superstar. However, this wasn’t the major highlight. At least not after Jones’ comments surfaced online.

Recent footage released on social media showcased the Aussie jeering at the Serbian crowd and sarcastically suggesting that “Novak, he’s overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out”. He continued to reiterate his remark as the crowd couldn’t catch what he said given the barrier in place. This wasn’t kindly received from fans. Multiple users, including ATP star Nick Kyrgios, in staunch support of Djokovic, fired back at the Australian presenter. “Coming from this clown – couldn’t run around a park this bloke,” wrote Kyrgios.

Fast forward to Sunday when Djokovic locked horns with Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round, the Serbian veteran was booed off the court when he refused to dial in for the customary on-court interview after winning the clash in straight sets. The spotlight turned to him when Jim Courier offered to hand the mic to Djokovic and he refused to take questions after thanking the crowd for their attendance at Melbourne Park. “Thanks for being here tonight. I’ll see you in the next round,” said Djokovic.

From what has been gathered, the 24-time Grand Slam champion likely snubbed Courier amid rising tensions between him and the Nine News channel. Seeing as Jones’s comments spread like wildfire on social media, it’s possible that Djokovic thought it best to avoid any interaction with the broadcasting channel and its representatives. He also addressed the situation with the reporters later.

Novak Djokovic refers to “public apology” from Channel 9 after R4 drama at the Australian Open

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic did what almost anyone would’ve done. He avoided becoming part of a controversy after Australian newsreader Tony Jones’s comments received wide criticism from the tennis community. Despite garnering support from multiple fans surrounding the astounding remark, Djokovic refrained from talking to the broadcasting company because of the update.

The former World No. 1 told the reporters in Melbourne his reasons behind avoiding the on-court interview saying, “A couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel 9 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 9.”

“So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9. I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public. It was a very awkward situation for me,” he added. His history with controversies in Melbourne isn’t new to anyone. Just a few days ago, the Serb claimed to have been poisoned in the Australian city following his detention due to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate in 2021.

For now, Djokovic will look to focus on his upcoming clash against his two-time Wimbledon slayer Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open on Tuesday, January 21.