Novak Djokovic’s quest for the 25th Grand Slam title has not been without its challenges. While he has shown his prowess on the court by reaching the semi-finals after taking down Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, the off-court drama with Channel Nine’s Tony Jones had initially overshadowed his achievements. The Serb wasn’t too happy with it, but after an apology was issued he was back to doing the on-court interviews. However, Rennae Stubbs is not too pleased with how things panned out.

The controversy at the Australian Open began when Channel Nine’s Tony Jones mocked Novak Djokovic and his Serbian fans during a live segment on January 17. He sang, “Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been,” prompting Djokovic to boycott post-match interviews until an official apology was issued, as he found the comments “insulting and offensive.” While Jones later issued an on-air apology on Monday, claiming his remarks were meant as humor. He stated, “I considered it to be humor, which is consistent with most things I do,” and expressed regret if Djokovic felt disrespected.

However, his apology failed to resonate with many, including Rennae Stubbs, who criticized it during her podcast with Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday. Stubbs highlighted Jones’s history of controversial remarks, pointing out his recent criticism of Danielle Collins. Earlier Jones had labeled Collins a “brat” after she sarcastically thanked hecklers for “paying my bills” during her match against Destanee Aiava.

Defending Collins, Stubbs said, “She’s had a rough 12 months as well, it’s the reason why she’s back. She’s had a fertility issue, she’s had endometriosis, she’s been through a lot and she does a lot of stuff, charity-wise, at home. She’s not a bad person, she just lost her mind a little bit in the press. But that Tony Johns guy to call her about is a f****** idiot. And frankly, apologizing to Novak and his fans a couple of days later, it just didn’t feel very sincere to me.”

Wozniacki echoed her thoughts, stating that it was “completely out of place” for a trained professional to make such comments. She questioned, “He was trained to be a broadcaster. What did they teach you in broadcasting school?” Meanwhile, players like Ben Shelton also voiced their dissatisfaction with the situation, indicating that it has not been well received among the competitors.

Ben Shelton backs up Novak Djokovic amidst feud with reporter

During his press conference after defeating Lorenzo Sonego on Wednesday, Shelton didn’t hold back about how players have been treated by broadcasters at the Australian Open. “I’ve been a little shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” he said. Referring to the incident involving Novak Djokovic, he added, “I don’t think that the guy who mocked Novak… I don’t think that was just a single event,” pointing out that he’s noticed similar disrespectful behavior towards other players, not just Djokovic.

He specifically highlighted the awkward post-match interview experienced by Learner Tien after his victory over Daniil Medvedev. During that interview, John Fitzgerald made the baffling comment, “Nineteen-year-olds are not meant to be that good,” leaving Tien confused as he responded, “I mean, I don’t know what to say to that.” Shelton found such interactions “kind of embarrassing and disrespectful.”

The 22-year-old also recounted some uncomfortable moments from his own interviews, including comments like, “Hey Monfils is old enough to be your dad, maybe he’s your dad,” and another quip stating, “Hey Ben, how does it feel that no matter who you play in your next match no one’s going to be cheering for you?” Although he shared these experiences with a smile, he expressed disappointment: “I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the big stage. Enjoy one of their big moments and I feel like there’s just been a lot of negativity and I think that’s something that needs to change.” These statements echoed Stubbs and Caroline’s sentiments from the podcast.

As both Shelton and Djokovic prepare for their upcoming matches—Shelton against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Djokovic facing World No. 2 Alexander Zverev – will these controversies linger as they compete for the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below!