Tennis star Novak Djokovic stirred up drama at the Australian Open 2025 after skipping a post-match interview with Channel 9, the event’s official broadcaster, for mocking & insulting him and his Serbian tennis fans.
The matter escalated when Elon Musk took notice of the situation. He shared Djokovic's tweet and commented, "It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media."
Why did Djokovic skip the on-court interview?
Djokovic defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets (6-3, 6-4, 7-6) in the fourth round but faced a tough crowd at Rod Laver Arena, who tried to distract him during the match. He declined a courtside interview after snubbing the two-time Australian Open champion turned commentator Jim Courier, leaving fans and viewers puzzled.
Later, Djokovic explained his decision in a press conference and a video on X (formerly Twitter). He accused Tony Jones, a journalist from Channel 9, of mocking Serbian tennis fans and making offensive remarks about him during a news bulletin. Djokovic stated that neither Jones nor Channel 9 had apologised, prompting him to avoid interviews with the broadcaster.
In the controversial segment, Jones reportedly mocked Serbian fans by sarcastically praising their chants and made derogatory comments like, “Novak is overrated” and “Novak, kick him out,” while pretending the fans couldn’t hear him.
Novak will face Djokovic
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The two players have met seven times, with Djokovic leading 4-3. Their last encounter was in the Paris 2024 men’s singles final, where Alcaraz fell short.
