Novak Djokovic Moved to Australian Open Quarterfinals, Boycotts Official Broadcaster After Dispute Over Comments
Novak Djokovic defeated Jiří Lehecka in the fourth round of the Australian Open, moving on to the quarterfinals, but the victory was overshadowed by a dispute with the official broadcaster, Channel 9. Djokovic refused to speak to the network after a journalist, Tony Jones, made remarks that he deemed insulting and offensive towards him and Serbian fans.
Jones called Djokovic “overrated” and a “has-been”, sparking outrage from the tennis star. Djokovic demanded an apology from the station and Jones, saying he would continue to boycott speaking to Channel 9. He told reporters that he had spoken to Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, expressing his discontent and indicating that he was willing to accept a fine for not giving an on-court interview.
The situation sparked a response from billionaire Elon Musk, who tweeted that it was better to talk directly to the public than through the “negativity filter” of legacy media. Djokovic responded with a simple “indeed”.
