Australian Open Day Nine: Live score and game-by-game updates as Novak Djokovic responds to Channel 9 presenter’s ‘hollow’ apology, as Jannik Sinner scares fans with worrying moment

Nick Kyrgios has brutally hit out at Tony Jones during a skit published on his Instagram channel.

The Australian appeared in a skit alongside comedian Elliot Loney with the pair proceeding to perform a parody of the moment Jones had mocked Djokovic earlier this week.

Instead Kyrgios pretends to present a live news segment with Loney pretending to play Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios says to the camera: ‘And that’s what’s making live news around the globe. Nick Kyrgios live news.’

The camera then turned to Loney, who began to repeat Jones’ chant that caused the scandal earlier this week, but with a few changes.

‘Kyrgios is a has-been… Kyrgios is overrated… Kyrgios kick him out,’ he said, laughing.

‘Boy I’m glad he cannot hear me, you know, because that would be…’

Kyrgios interjected: ‘Novak, we’re on live Television mate.

‘Of course, of course, who would be stupid enough to say that on live television,’ Loney replied.

‘Exactly,’ Kyrgios replied.

Good afternoon and welcome back to an insanely hot day at Melbourne Park.

I’m just going to jump straight in as it’s been a busy hour here in the media centre.

Novack Djokovic has issued a response to Tony Jones’ apology earlier this morning in a statement via Tennis Australia.

I’m sure you will have seen the huge saga unfold over the past few days, but if not, Jones came under fire for his rather explosive comments during a live television broadcast with Channel 9 in Australia.

The broadcaster had ‘offended and insulted’ Djokovic, after he had claimed the 24-time Grand Slam winner was a ‘has been’ in a bizarre television segment.

Yesterday evening, Djokovic booked his passage to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the 15th time in his distinguished career.

But after the match, he stayed to conduct a post-match interview only briefly, before revealing in his press conference that he would not be doing any further interviews on-court until he received a public apology from Jones.

Jones claimed this morning that he had reached out to Djokovic’s team over the past few days to apologise and had also issued a statement to a Balkan TV and news outlet SportKlub, again saying sorry for his comments on television.

It has all kicked off since then, with some branding his apology this morning ‘hollow’ while others, including Nick Kyrgios have lashed out at the Channel 9 presenter.

Djokovic though, has accepted his apology and now wants to move on from the moment that has engulfed the tournament over the past few days.

Read the full story below…

While Djokovic has received widespread backing following his spat with Channel 9’s Tony Jones there are some who haven’t risen to support the world No 7.

One includes Australian independent senator Jacqui Lambie who had previously called for Djokovic to be deported from Australia because of his vaccination status.

The spat between Tony Jones and Novak Djokovic has been not only the talk of the media centre here at Melbourne Park, but it seems the talk of Twitter!

Elon Musk and Piers Morgan have both weighed in on the matter, here’s what the British journalist said on the matter, while you can read the SpaceX founder’s comment and Djokovic’s reply down below…

So this morning, Jones appeared on Channel 9’s the Today Show where he made a public address to Djokovic.

It is understood he had made a previous attempt to contact the world No 7’s team and had also issued a statement apologising to a Balkan TV and sports outlet last week.

Djokovic had demanded a ‘public’ apology from the Channel 9 broadcaster who addressed his comments on live television on Monday.

The comments were made on the news on the Friday night, which I considered to be banter,’ Jones said on the Today Show.

I considered it to be humour, which is consistent with most things I do, whether it be the Sunday Footy Show or whether it be the Morning Show here.

Having said that, I was made aware on the Saturday morning from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.

Now, as such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. So this is 48 hours ago.

For any disrespect that Novak felt that I’d caused, and as I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak if he felt any disrespect, which quite clearly he does.

They come here with the flags and they provide so much colour and so much passion, and there was banter so I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter,’ he said.

Quite clearly that hasn’t been interpreted that way, so I do feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.

I’m just saying and not to try and wriggle out of trouble or anything, I genuinely feel for those fans.

Now I can stand here and put whatever spin I want in that, but it can only be interpreted as a throwback to the COVID years when he was kicked out (of Australia for not having a visa),’ he added.

Now that has angered Novak, which I completely understand now.

It’s an unfortunate situation. It’s been one of personal angst for Novak. It’s quite clearly personal angst for me as well. But I think the priority here now is to focus on the tennis again.