Novak Djokovic explained why he refused to partake in an on-court interview with Jim Courier, declaring he is taking a stance amid comments made by Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones.
The 10-time Australian Open winner dispatched No.24 seed Jiří Lehečka in straight-sets, but appeared to be annoyed by the lack of respect shown by sections of the crowd — forced to pause while about to serve on multiple occasions.
Instead of approaching the middle of the court to applaud fans after the match, Djokovic only clapped and appreciated a small section of Serbian supporters.
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When Courier walked out on court, Djokovic had a brief conversation with the American off-mic before taking the microphone to say a few words.
"Thank you very much for being here tonight," he told the Rod Laver Arena crowd. "I appreciate your presence and support, and I'll see you in the next round. Thank you very much."
As debate commenced about why Djokovic refused to answer questions, the 37-year-old clarified his reasoning behind the decision in his post-match press conference, citing presenter Tony Jones as the main problem.
"I would like to just clarify the reason why the interview was not conducted on the court, the post-match interview, like it's a common, usual practice," he began.
"Couple days ago, the famous sports journalist who works for [the] official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me. Since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9. So since they're official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9.
"I have nothing against Jim Courier or neither the Australian public. It was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today. It's unfortunate I chose [not] to say something to the crowd, but obviously wasn't the time and space or situation for me to explain what I'm doing right now.
"I leave it to Channel 9 to handle this the way they think they see fit. That's all."
Djokovic confirmed his stance will continue until he receives an apology.
It all started three days ago when Jones, reporting the sports bulletin for Channel 9 news at Melbourne Park, made negative comments directed towards Djokovic in front of Serbian fans, referring to him as "overrated" and a "has been".
Vision in the tunnel near the players’ lounge showed a conversation that took place between Djokovic and Tournament Director Craig Tiley.
The 24-time major champion opened up on why he spoke with Tiley, stating that what he just told the media during his press conference is what was said.
"It's exactly what I told you. That's what I told him. I haven't seen him since that happened. He was communicating with my agent and my team," said Djokovic.
"I just wanted to make sure, as I have [a] really nice relationship with Craig, I think he's a phenomenal guy that always tries to help players and understand the players' needs or demands, so I just wanted to make sure that he knows where I stand and the reasons behind it.
"So I told him, 'If you guys want to fine me for not giving an on-court interview, that's okay, I'll accept that', 'cause I feel like this is something that needs to be done. That's all there is to it."
The Serbian star used his X platform and Instagram account to notify his 9.3 million and 15.6 million followers about what transpired in a personalised message.
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