During a live broadcast from the Australian Open, a Channel 9 presenter received criticism for taunting tennis fans with derogatory remarks about Novak Djokovic, one of the tennis greats.
Tony Jones, a long-time Channel 9 sports journalist, made disparaging comments about Djokovic while surrounded by a group of enthusiastic fans who were cheering in the background.
According to a social media post by a supposed member of the fan group, they were asked by Nine Network staff to cheer for Djokovic while Jones, unbeknownst to them, was insulting the player on live television just beyond the crowd’s hearing range.
Jones presented the segment prior to Djokovic’s third round match against Tomas Machac at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena and commented about the audience behind him and how they were cheering for the world number number seven.
‘Welcome back to Melbourne Park where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans in full voice … the chants are quite extraordinary,’ he began.
Jones then turned around and gave a chant of his own in opposition.
‘Novak is overrated … Novak’s a has-been … Novak kick him out,’ he said while looking back on the enthusiastic crowd.
‘I am glad that they can’t hear me.’
Following his antics Mr Jones continued reading out the news of the tournament before signing off and joking that he had better ‘get out of here’.
‘That wraps it up from Melbourne Park and somehow, I am going to have to get out of here … nah we are fine, we had selfies and I told them I was Clint Stanaway,’ he said.
Before Djokovic fans had any idea what the sports journalist had said in his live cross, anchor Tom Steinfort noted that his colleague might have just made himself even more unpopular than US player Danielle Collins.
Collins has been a divisive figure in the tournament after she had earlier in the week gestured to the crowd after her hard-fought but victorious match against Aussie Destanee Aiava to ‘shut up’ and kiss her behind.
‘I didn’t think anyone would be more unpopular than Danielle Collins after last night’s antics, but Tony well done, you’ve taken the cake.’ he said.
Once the segment had aired furious fans were quick to jump on social media to slam Mr Jones’ ‘disrespect’.
‘I’m sure TJ would never ever have said this about Fed or Nadal,’ one fan tweeted.
‘…whatever that was: trolling the fans, annoyed at the fans, joking with the fans etc. I think it missed the mark and was in poor taste, lacking respect.’
More people, including other sports stars, also piled on with their own criticisms of the live cross.
Aussie tennis great Paul McNamee took personal offence to Mr Jones’ offhanded remarks.
‘Tony I’m surprised, especially as you work for the host broadcaster, that you would send up a bunch of Aussies [with European heritage] having a good time celebrating their 10-time AO champion … trying to be funny mate,’ Mr McNamee wrote.
AFL star Jack Ginnivan, who plays for Hawthorn, also failed to see the funny side.
‘How can this be on TV. Disrespecting the GOAT, embarrassing,’ he wrote.
While some social media users defended Mr Jones by pointing out that he was simply ‘being sarcastic’ a majority of them did not let him off the hook.
‘The guy with the most slams and most masters and most atp finals and most weeks #1 and most year-end #1s is overrated??’ one wrote.
‘Have to say, this is one of the strangest things Tony Jones has done on camera. I know it’s a ‘joke’, but to have such a lack of respect from the host broadcaster is … slightly questionable,’ another added.
‘What an absolute disgrace from TJ, totally unacceptable to disrespect a champion,’ a third said.
‘This was disgusting. Regardless if you like Novak or not. He is a champion of the game and a 10 time winner of the Australian Open. Show respect to a living great of the game. Tony Jones should give a public apology to Novak and all tennis supporters,’ a fourth wrote.
It’s not the first awkward on-air moment for Jones who was infamously embarrassed twice by footy WAG Bec Judd.
In a clip that went viral in 2013, Jones asked Ms Judd, who was then a Melbourne weather presenter, during a news broadcast if she wanted to attend a barbecue at his place.
‘No thanks,’ she replied.
Three years later in 2016 when Ms Judd was going on maternity leave, Jones tried to give her a peck on the cheek during her farewell show, which she avoided by reeling back.
The clip had a million views on YouTube alone.
‘I’ve put up with that c**p for years, and it’s not my fault!’ Jones told the Footy Show’s panel in 2020.
‘Our news director, Hugh Nailon, here at Channel 9 at Melbourne. He didn’t organise the flowers. I was supposed to present Bec flowers.’
He said he then tried to get out of the presentation but the floor manager for Nine News told him to stay and put on a performance for the broadcast.
He said when he then went to farewell Ms Judd on live television while being empty handed he went in for a kiss to ‘wish her luck’.
Novak Djokovic won his match but warned fans are overstepping the mark after riding an emotional rollercoaster through to a mind-boggling 67th grand slam second-week appearance.
The 10-time Australian Open champion told one relentless heckler to ‘shut the f*** up, you f***ing idiot’ during the lively third-round win over Tomas Machac.
He also berated technology, bounced his racquet in frustration and endured two medical time-outs.
But he still ultimately arrived at a familiar destination – the fourth round of the Open for a 17th time – after seeing off the Czech 26th seed 6-1 6-4 6-4 in a colourful two hours and 22 minutes.
The super Serb joins Roger Federer as only the second 37-year-old to make the last 16 of the Open since the tournament moved to Melbourne Park and a 128-man draw in 1988.
But despite the straight-sets scoreline, his passage was anything but smooth.
Djokovic called for the tournament doctor for an unspecified illness early in the second set, then left the court before the third for more treatment.
The seventh seed constantly pleaded with the umpire to quieten the crowd, and was especially annoyed at one spectator for continually goading him.
Asked if fans were starting to cross the line, Djokovic said: ‘Yeah, few people here and there.
‘I understand you have few drinks more, and then you get into it, but on the court it’s frustrating and it comes in a bad moment.
‘If it’s repetitive, it happens for an hour, somebody tells you in the corner things that you don’t want to hear and constant provoking, then of course it comes to the point where you just respond.
