“Inappropriate and offensive”: Darren Cahill backs Novak Djokovic in Tony Jones controversy

Darren Cahill, Jannik Sinner’s coach, voiced his agreement with Novak Djokovic over the controversial comments made by journalist Tony Jones. The 24-time Grand Slam champion chose to skip an Australian Open interview after finding remarks from the Australian journalist offensive toward both Djokovic and Serbian fans.

Djokovic, the most successful player in Australian Open history with 10 titles, opted out of his on-court interview following a dominant fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka (6-3, 6-4, 7-6). Instead, he delivered a brief message to the crowd and later explained his decision during a press conference.

“As I mentioned, a couple of days ago, a famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster Channel 9 here in Australia mocked Serbian fans and made insulting comments about me,” Djokovic said. “Since then, neither he nor Channel 9 has issued a public apology. As they are the official broadcaster, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.”

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The incident stemmed from comments made two days earlier when Djokovic defeated Czech player Tomas Machac in the third round. During a live broadcast with Serbian fans cheering in the background, the journalist jokingly remarked, “Novak’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out... Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me.” The clip quickly went viral on social media and caught Djokovic’s attention.

In recent ESPN broadcasts, Darren Cahill, who is also a commentator for the network, discussed the controversy surrounding his fellow Australian journalist. “Tony Jones works for 9 News here in Melbourne,” Cahill began. “He also hosts a football show, which is a lighthearted breakdown of Australian rules football, a popular sport here. He’s been in the industry for years and years.”

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“I’m sure Tony was trying to be funny, but it was inappropriate, and I don’t blame Novak for taking offense,” Cahill added. “Especially considering what Novak endured during the Covid year here—how badly he was treated by the Australian government and then sent home without being able to play.”

“I think Novak was well within his rights to ask for an apology, and his actions on the court make perfect sense now,” the Aussie coach concluded.

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