Tony Jones is slammed for his 'hollow' apology to Novak Djokovic as Nick Kyrgios unloads on Channel Nine star in wild attack
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Tony Jones has been blasted for making a 'hollow' apology to Novak Djokovic after he kicked off a firestorm at the Australian Open by mocking the Serbian champion - with Nick Kyrgios hitting the Channel Nine with an expletive-filled attack. Jones issued a public apology to the 24-time grand slam winner on Monday after Djokovic stunned the tennis world by boycotting an on-court interview with Nine's Jim Courier on Sunday night.
![[Nick Kyrgios saved his best for last when he took three shots at Jones over the scandal]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/05/94283919-14303503-Nick_Kyrgios_saved_his_best_for_last_when_he_took_three_shots_at-a-139_1737350585499.jpg)
Djokovic advanced to the Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Czech Jiri Lehecka and said he would refuse any interviews with the tournament's host broadcaster Channel Nine until he received an apology. The veteran newsreader was doing a live broadcast from Melbourne Park on Friday night when a large group of Djokovic fans holding Serbian flags began cheering in the background behind him.
![[Respected tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg took issue with one phrase in the apology Jones made to Djokovic on Monday morning]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/05/94283839-14303503-Respected_tennis_reporter_Ben_Rothenberg_took_issue_with_one_phr-a-141_1737350585552.jpg)
Jones sledged the fans, singing to them: 'Novak, he's overrated ... Novak's a has-been. Novak, kick him out.'. While the comments were supposed to be a joke, he was widely slammed on social media. Channel Nine star Tony Jones has been hammered by some of the biggest names in tennis for mocking Novak Djokovic on live TV.
![[Pictured: The moment Djokovic took the mic from tennis great turned Nine commentator Jim Courier and thanked fans after refusing to be interviewed by the broadcaster on court]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/05/94284489-14303503-Pictured_The_moment_Djokovic_took_the_mic_from_tennis_great_turn-a-1_1737350609234.jpg)
Nick Kyrgios saved his best for last when he took three shots at Jones over the scandal. Jones offered his public apology on Monday morning after first apologising in remarks made to a Serbian news outlet. 'The comments were made on the news on the Friday night, which I considered to be banter,' Jones said on the Today show.
