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Djokovic's competitive fire ignited as controversial comment fuels his quest for glory

Djokovic's competitive fire ignited as controversial comment fuels his quest for glory
Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 27, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Craig Ray
By Craig Ray
20 Jan 2025
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Serbian great Novak Djokovic has fuelled a spat at the season’s first Grand Slam — the Australia Open — after a perceived insult from the host broadcaster.

Novak Djokovic — two words that divide tennis like a net separates the court into two halves.

On the one side is a person of supreme talent and commitment to his craft, who has won more singles Grand Slams than any man in history (24), and who is beloved in his native Serbia and respected almost everywhere else.

On the other side, there is a prickly athlete who seems to fuel his competitive nuclear reactor by taking umbrage at the most innocuous “insults”.

This week at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Djokovic cut short an on-court post-match interview in protest against the comments of Australian broadcaster Tony Jones.

A few days earlier, in the Channel Nine studio Jones, in what was a poor attempt at being humorous, bantered with Serbian fans outside his broadcast booth last Friday.

They were chanting for Djokovic and Jones turned to the Serbian-flag bedecked throng and chanted: “Novak, he’s overrated! Novak’s a has-been! Novak, kick him out!”




It wasn’t particularly smart of Jones, but it hardly constituted the diplomatic incident that it became.

Djokovic though, was having none of it after defeating Czech Jiri Lehecka, to advance to a quarterfinal where he will meet Carlos Alcaraz.

“Thank you very much for being here tonight. I appreciate your presence and the support. I’ll see you in the next round. Thank you very much,” was all Djokovic gave to a bemused Jim Courier on court.

Later, Djokovic gave a short statement: “Couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel Nine made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” Djokovic said.

“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.”

Fuel


Petty? Probably. But at elite level even the most mundane things can fuel an athlete.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan famously used to manufacture a slight from an opponent to fire him up, and it’s no different with Djokovic.

In the documentary The Last Dance, Jordan details how an opponent named BJ Armstrong riled him.

After sinking the winning shot in Game Two of their play-off match, Armstrong, who had previously been on Jordan’s Chicago Bulls team, screamed and shouted at the Bulls bench.

Jordan didn’t need an old teammate’s antics to win games. But he chose to use the moment to ignite his deepest competitive nature.

“I felt like BJ should know better,” Jordan says in the show. “If you’re going to high-five, talk trash, now I had a bone to pick with you. I’m supposed to kill this guy, you know, I’m supposed to dominate this guy. And from that point I did.”

Apology sent


Jones has subsequently apologised to Djokovic and his camp for his comments, but the fuel is there now as the Serb readies himself to face the brilliant young Alcaraz.

In an interview on the channel on Monday, Jones said he thought the comments had been “banter”.

“I can stand by that apology to Novak,” Jones said. “I should also say the disrespect was extended, in many ways, to the Serbian fans.

“We have built up a nice rapport with the Serbian fans... and there was banter, and I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter. 

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain serves to Jack Draper of Great Britain at the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, on 19 January 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE/JAMES ROSS)



NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. (Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)



Quite clearly it has not been interpreted that way.

“I feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”

Jones said the one comment he particularly regretted was “kick him out”, which he accepted could only be construed as a reference to Djokovic’s deportation from Australia in a row over his Covid-19 vaccination status in early 2022.

“That has angered Novak, which I completely understand now,” Jones said. “It has been an unfortunate situation, it has been one of personal angst for Novak, it’s quite clearly personal angst for me as well.”

Djokovic probably needs all the emotional energy he can muster to overcome Alcaraz, who won two of the four Grand Slams in 2024.

It’s a blockbuster match-up for a quarterfinal because Djokovic’s ranking has dropped to seven.

They have met seven times before with Djokovic leading the head-to-head 4-3.

“(He) reminds me of my match-ups versus (Rafa) Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court,” Djokovic said. “He's a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented, charismatic player. Great to watch, not that great to play against. I look forward to it.”

Alcaraz was also not doing a jig at the prospect of facing Djokovic at this stage of a Grand Slam.

“This is not the right player to play in a quarterfinal, I guess,” Alcaraz said after his fourth-round match victory over Jack Draper, who retired with an injury.

“He almost broke every record in tennis. I’m trying not to think about that when I’m in the match. I’m just trying (to think) that I’m able to beat him.

“I know my weapons, I know that I’m able to play good tennis against him.”Just don’t upset him, Carlos. DM

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