What Did Tony Jones Say About Novak Djokovic That Outraged the World?

Channel 9 host Tony Jones sparked outrage among Novak Djokovic’s fans after making critical remarks during a live broadcast from Melbourne Park.

While reporting on sports news Friday night, a large group of Djokovic supporters waving Serbian flags began cheering behind him. Jones initially praised their enthusiasm but quickly made controversial remarks:
“Novak, he’s overrated. Novak is washed up. Novak, get him out of here.”

Fierce Backlash From Fans

Tony Jones’ comments quickly became a hot topic on social media. A clip of the incident garnered over 260,000 views, with many criticizing his behavior as unprofessional and disrespectful toward the Serbian fans.

Former Australian doubles player Paul McNamee wrote on social media:
“I’m surprised that someone working for the host broadcaster would make such inappropriate jokes about people celebrating Djokovic’s 10th Australian Open title.”

Another fan commented:
“Tony Jones would never say this about Federer or Nadal. This was ugly and unprofessional.”

Other reactions were equally harsh:

• “TJ has no class. His attempts at humor were pointless and irritating.”
• “Many Serbians have settled in Australia since the 1950s. This behavior is shameful.”
• “This was one of the strangest moments Tony Jones has ever delivered on air.”

Tony Jones Responds

In a statement to news.com.au, Tony Jones defended his comments, stating:
“It was just some lighthearted banter with the Serbian fans. Everything was in the spirit of the tournament. This is a fun Slam.”

Djokovic’s Legacy

Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time (GOAT), with 24 Grand Slam titles, surpassing Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20). He also won the Olympic gold medal in men’s singles in Paris last year, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Tony Jones’ actions not only struck a nerve with Djokovic’s fan base but also reignited debate about how the Australian media portrays this tennis legend.