Novak Djokovic’s decision to boycott Channel 9 interviews during the Australian Open has drawn international attention, igniting widespread debate across social media and the tennis community.
The controversy began when Channel 9 broadcaster Tony Jones mocked Serbian fans and made disparaging remarks about Djokovic during a news segment. The clip, in which Jones sarcastically chanted, “Novak is overrated … Novak’s a has-been … Novak kick him out,” went viral, prompting backlash from fans and the tennis star himself.
Djokovic addressed the issue in a video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, explaining his decision to skip the traditional post-match interview following his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka. “Neither the broadcaster nor the journalist has apologized, so I chose not to engage with Channel 9,” he stated.
The move divided fans at Rod Laver Arena, but online, Djokovic gained significant support. Billionaire Elon Musk shared Djokovic’s video to his 214 million followers, calling direct communication with fans “better than going through the negativity filter of legacy media.”
It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media https://t.co/QYDJXWAC5r
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2025
Piers Morgan joined the conversation, describing Jones as “an absolute tool,” while Boris Becker and Victoria Azarenka condemned the broadcaster’s behavior. Becker questioned whether Jones should retain his position, and Azarenka praised Djokovic for his unmatched achievements in tennis, criticizing the audacity of labeling him “overrated.”
Djokovic is right. That Channel 9 guy was an absolute tool. https://t.co/YSJbkanoNN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 19, 2025
Despite the uproar, Djokovic’s performance on the court remains undisputed. His straight-sets victory over Lehecka secured him a spot in the quarterfinals, keeping his pursuit of another Australian Open title alive.
Djokovic at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.7, the Serbian owns a composed 6-1 record in 2025. Djokovic is playing at the Australian Open where he overcame the world no.107 Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2, the world no.125 Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2, the world no.25 Tomas Machac 6-1 6-4 6-4 and the world no.29 Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 7-6(4).
Novak Djokovic will come up against the world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter on Tuesday at 9:00 pm on Rod Laver Arena. Their current record is 4-3 for Djokovic.
Novak won 99 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 20 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Novak Djokovic |
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