Tony Jones has spoken on the 9 Community this morning, issuing an apology to Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic refused to do the customary on-court interview with the host broadcaster following his fourth-round win over Jiří Lehečka on Sunday evening.
The ten-time Australian champion felt Jones “made a mockery” of Serbian followers throughout a reside TV broadcast final week.
That is what Jones needed to say this morning.
The feedback had been made on the information on the Friday evening, which I thought of to be banter. I thought of it to be humour, which is according to most issues I do.
Whether or not or not it’s the Sunday Footy Present, whether or not or not it’s the morning present right here. Having stated that, I used to be made conscious on the Saturday morning from Tennis Australia through the Djokovic camp that the Djokovic camp was not joyful in any respect with these feedback.
Now. As such, I instantly contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. So, that is 48 hours in the past for any disrespect that Novak felt that I might triggered. And as I stand right here now, I stand by that apology to Novak.
If he felt any disrespect, which fairly clearly he does now, I also needs to say the disrespect was prolonged, I suppose in some ways to the Serbian followers.
Now, as you recognize, being right here over the seven years, we have constructed up a pleasant rapport with the Serbian followers. They arrive right here with the flags they usually present a lot color and a lot ardour and there was banter, so I assumed what I used to be doing was an extension of that banter.
Fairly clearly that hasn’t been interpreted that means. So, I do really feel as if I’ve let down the Serbian followers. Now, I am not simply saying this to attempt to wriggle out of bother or something. I genuinely really feel for these followers.
If I might flip again time proper? And I do know we have all received PhDs. In hindsight, I feel the one factor the place I overstepped the mark and that is actually what’s actually form of angered Novak Djokovic and his camp, is the final remark I made in that backwards and forwards with the group: kick him out.
Now I can stand right here and put no matter spin I would like in that, however it might solely be interpreted as a throwback to the Covid years when he was kicked out.
Now that that has angered Novak, which I fully perceive now. So, look, it is it has been an unlucky scenario. It has been one in all private angst for Novak. It is fairly clearly private angst for me as properly.
However I simply suppose the precedence right here now could be to give attention to the tennis once more. He is received an incredible match arising tomorrow evening in opposition to Carlos Alcaraz, and I hope that his focus can now be on that. And my focus is now the printed once more.
So, I can solely once more inform Novak what I informed him 48 hours in the past. And that’s I do apologise if he felt that I disrespected him. I also needs to add that within the correspondence with Novak’s workforce, I agreed to fulfill with them in individual to debate all this.
They got here again and stated sure, we might be eager to fulfill in individual. That hasn’t transpired, however I am positive it’s going to over the subsequent 24 hours.
