Veteran Wimbledon presenter, 63, axed from TV coverage following controversial Novak Djokovic remarks
VETERAN sports presenter Tony Jones will not cover Wimbledon for Channel Nine in the wake of his fallout with tennis megastar Novak Djokovic.
Jones, a longtime Wimbledon presenter for the Australian network, has been left out of the lineup prior to the Grand Slam.
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It comes five months after his feud with Djokovic at the Australian Open.
The 63-year-old sparked controversy at Melbourne Park with comments about Djokovic before the 24-time Grand Slam winner's fourth-round match against Jiri Lehecka.
Standing in front of a vocal group of singing Serbian fans, Jones said: "Welcome back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans, they're in full voice. The chants are quite extraordinary."
He then went on to sing: "Novak, he's overrated. Novak's a has-been. Novak, kick him out.
"Boy, I'm glad they can't hear me. Anyway, let's get on to the tennis."
His comments upset Djokovic, who later boycotted a post-match interview with Channel Nine.
The tennis megastar went on to say in his press conference: "A couple of days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me.
"And 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."
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He concluded: "I leave it to Channel 9 to handle this the way they think they see fit. That's all."
Following the announcement from Djokovic, Jones swiftly offered an apology.
He said: "I contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them, this was 48 hours ago, for any disrespect that Novak felt that I caused.
"I stand by that apology to Novak, if he felt any disrespect, that quite clearly he does. To the Serbian fans, we have built up a nice rapport over the year. They bring flags, so much colour, passion and there was banter.
"What I thought I was doing was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly it has not been interpreted that way. I feel that I have let down the Serbian fans and I am not saying this to try and wriggle out of trouble. I genuinely feel for those fans.
"If I could turn back time, and I know we have all got PhD's in hindsight, where I over-stepped the mark, certainly what has angered Novak's camp, is the last comment 'kick him out'.
"That has angered Novak, that I completely understand. It has been a personal angst for Novak and for me as well. The priority is now to focus on the tennis.
"I can only again tell Novak what I told him 48 hours ago, which is I do apologise if he felt that I disrespected him."
With Jones absent from coverage of Wimbledon - which starts next Monday - Channel Nine will be fronted by Todd Woodbridge, Alicia Molik, Sam McClure and Jelena Dokic.
The draws for Wimbledon are scheduled to take place on Friday morning.
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The Sun
an hour ago
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Brit Jack Draper showed he was born to star at Wimbledon with 100-shot rally when he was FIVE years old
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It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique. Secondary Markets Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* The American tennis legend — a seven-time Major-winner — said: 'Jack was 14. He was like 5ft 1in or something. 'So, he had to work on everything. He obviously had a lot of talent. 'I'm not sure how tall his mum is. Or exactly how tall his dad is. I didn't see that happening where, oh, my God, Jesus Christ, this guy's now a physical specimen. 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BBC News
an hour ago
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Head and Webster dig in to slow West Indies charge
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