Nick Kyrgios is the latest big name to throw his support behind Novak Djokovic by criticising veteran broadcaster Tony Jones.
Comments Jones made late last week regarding the 24-time grand slam champion, while live on air for Channel Nine, led to Djokovic refusing an on-court interview following his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday night.
The Serbian star later confirmed he was boycotting the broadcaster in light of Jones’ attempted joke.
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On Monday, after Jones had issued an apology on the Today Show, he returned to his duties, hosting Nine’s coverage of the tournament.
Kyrgios, who was eliminated in the first round of the singles and men’s doubles, posted a video to his Facebook story in which he films the Channel Nine desk.
“How the f*** does this guy still have a f***ing job? It is putrid stuff,” Kyrgios can be heard saying over the short video.
“Tony Jones, you absolute flop. F***ing Chompers mate.”
Jones was given the nickname “Chompers” in reference to some work he’d had done on his teeth.
After several years of tension between the pair, Kyrgios and Djokovic have formed an unlikely friendship, with the Aussie showing support to the 10-time Australian Open winner amid his deportation from the country ahead of the 2022 tournament.
They would face off in the Wimbledon final that year and even paired up in doubles at the Brisbane International earlier this month.
Djokovic hasn’t always had the best relationship with Australian fans but this latest episode should win him plenty of support.
During a live cross on Nine’s Friday evening news, Jones attempted to wind up a crowd of Serbian fans.
“Welcome back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans, they’re in full voice. The chants are quite extraordinary,” Jones said in a live cross during the news on Friday, before chanting to the pack of fans.
“Novak, he’s overrated,” he sang.
“Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out.
“Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me. Anyway, let’s get onto the tennis.”
Following Djokovic’s boycott of the post-match interview, Jones issued an apology, of sorts, on Monday morning.
“The comments were made on the news on Friday night, which I considered to be banter, I considered it to be humour, which is consistent with most things I do,” Jones said.
“I was made aware on Saturday morning from Tennis Australia, via the Djokovic camp, that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.
“As such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them… for any disrespect that Novak felt that I’d caused.
“As I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak if he felt any disrespect, which quite clearly he does.
“If I could turn back time… I think the one thing where I overstepped the mark… is that last comment I made in that back and forth with the crowd: ‘Kick him out.’
“That has angered Novak, which I completely understand now.”
Djokovic hasn’t commented on the matter publicly since Sunday night, when he clarified his reason for knocking back Jim Courier’s interview.
“A couple days ago the famous sports journalist [Tony Jones] who works for the official broadcaster, Channel Nine here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel Nine. So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel Nine.”
