Off-court drama has taken center stage in Djokovic’s bid for an 11th Australian Open crown. It all started with Channel Nine’s Tony Jones, who remarked “Novak, he’s overrated” during a sport segment, which involved Serbian fans at Melbourne Park on Friday—a comment he later dismissed as harmless banter. But Djokovic saw nothing playful about it. The 24-time Grand Slam champion refused to participate in the network’s customary post-match on-court interviews after his fourth round win over Czechia’s Jiri Lehecka on Sunday, demanding a formal apology. Now, Patrick McEnroe, the American former tennis player and ESPN analyst, has weighed in!

Two days later, Novak Djokovic took to his official X handle and posted a video having “a few words about what happened on court.” Jones, according to the 10-time Australian Open champion, “made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me”.

Informed on Saturday morning by Tennis Australia that Djokovic’s team was unhappy, Jones contacted them immediately: “Disappointed that it’s come to this. 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,” Jones said. Jones admitted regret over his “kick him out” remarks, which have been seen as a reminder of the COVID-19 back from 2022, when the former world number one was deported out of Australia. The fallout is not over yet.

A few hours later, Patrick McEnroe, the 1989 French Open doubles champion, joined the fray during a live segment on ESPN. “All I have to say is good for Novak for speaking up. For me, that was an idiotic comment, an idiotic statement by Tony, and Novak has every right to be annoyed,” McEnroe stated boldly.

Highlighting Djokovic’s stature, McEnroe added, “He [Novak] could be the president of Serbia, and you know they talked about that possibility happening. It just got even greater with the way he handled that—his pride, for his people and his country—he is literally an icon in his own country as well he should be. So he has every right to take that stand, and he did.”

The Serbian Council of Australia has escalated the situation, demanding the immediate dismissal of Tony Jones. They strongly condemn his comments as “offensive, racist and only serve to incite further discrimination of Australian-Serbs”.

The ongoing tensions between commentators and players aren’t new. Last year, during the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, Barbora Krejčíková’s match against Zheng Qinwen took a negative turn, following comments by Tennis Channel analyst Jon Wertheim about Krejcikova’s forehead that were captured on a hot mic.

Wertheim unwittingly provided commentary, stating: “…Look at the forehead when Krejcikova and Jon take the court…” His remarks soon went viral, and Krejcikova stated she found it “disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary.” The backlash from the incident led to Wertheim being suspended “indefinitely” from the Tennis Channel. He also issued a public apology, in which he said his remarks were “deeply regrettable” and he reached out directly to Krejcikova.

Well, before Novak Djokovic, Jones had his own thing with WTA Star.

Before Novak Djoković, Danielle Collins got criticized by Tony Jones

Tony Jones and Danielle Collins found themselves sparring after a fiery second-round clash at the Australian Open. The Channel 9 sportscaster didn’t hold back, labeling Collins “a brat” during an interview on 3AW Drive.

Jones took issue with Collins’ behavior during her match against the Australian favorite Destanee Aiava. When the KIA Arena crowd booed her throughout the thrilling encounter, Collins responded in style, clinching a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2 victory and afterward, she sarcastically addressed the jeering crowd, saying, “Thank you, guys, love ya!”

Jones claimed she was rubbing her lavish lifestyle in “our noses” and had “overstepped the mark.” when after the match, she revealed how she has planned to use her prize money for a luxury five-star vacation with her friend and fellow player Coco Vandeweghe. Collins didn’t let the comments slide.

Sharing a screenshot of Jones’ remarks, she cheekily wrote on Instagram, “I love when these old dudes like Tony know the vibe.” Unapologetic and bold, Collins made it clear she’ll continue to do things her way!

On court now, while Danielle Collins might have ousted from the tournament, Djokovic lives on and will face Carlos Alcaraz in mouth watering Quarterfinals showdown at Rod Laver Arena on 21 January, Tuesday.