Tennis Australia has decided not to fine Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic for missing media engagements to protest comments made by Channel Nine star Tony Jones last week.
Djokovic declined a post-match interview after his fourth-round victory, explaining in his press conference and on social media that he decided to boycott because Jones mocked him.
“A couple of days ago, the famous sports journalist who works for the official broadcaster, Channel 9, here in Australia, made fun of the Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” the winner later clarified of 24 Grand Slam tournaments.
'And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither does Channel 9. So, since they are official stations, I decided not to give interviews for Channel 9.
The comments came on Friday, when Jones was broadcasting in front of a gathered crowd of Serbian Djokovic fans chanting and chanting in honor of their hero.
“Welcome back to Melbourne Park, where you can see the Novak Djokovic fans, they are in full voice,” Jones said. “The chants are quite extraordinary.”
Novak Djokovic to escape sanction for missing media engagements in protest over comments by Channel Nine reporter Tony Jones
Jones publicly apologized and the host broadcaster signed him for the remainder of the Australian Open.
Jones was criticized for mocking Serbian fans and making derogatory comments about his hero Novak Djokovic.
He then turned to face the Serbian fans and mocked their chants: “Novak, he's overrated,” Jones sang. 'Novak is a past. Novak, kick him out.
'Wow, I'm glad they can't hear me. Anyway, let's move on to tennis.
Jones apologized on air, explaining that the comments were intended for humor, but acknowledged the disrespect caused.
“If I could go back in time, and I know we all have PhDs in hindsight, I think the only thing I went overboard on, and this is certainly the thing that really angered Novak Djokovic and his camp, is the last comment I made on that exchange with the crowd was: 'throw him out,' Jones said on Nine.
Djokovic accepted the public apology and focused his attention on his next matches.
Attending media engagements is mandatory for all players at Grand Slam events, and skipping them is considered an unfair advantage because it gives players more time to prepare than their opponent.
However, the Australian Open chose not to fine Djokovic for his stance.
There are no fines established in the Grand Slam Code of Conduct. Instead, a sliding scale is used that fines players based on their ranking and earning potential.
Russian star Daniil Medvedev was hit with a hefty fine for smashing his racket, attacking a camera and billboards and missing a media interview.
Naomi Osaka was also fined for missing a media engagement at the French Open, despite citing mental health issues.
That starts at $1,000 for lower-ranked players and increases depending on the severity of the violation and the player's earning potential.
The rules state that a player ranked in the top 10 can be fined $20,000 for media engagements.
Djokovic already holds the record for the largest fine in history: he received $267,500 (A$432,395) after being disqualified from the US Open in 2020.
In that case, the 24-time grand slam player was ejected from Flushing Meadows after he hit a linesman in the throat when he hit a ball out of frustration.
While Djokovic got away with it, world number 5 Daniil Medvedev was not so lucky.
He was fined $123,000 for two incidents, almost all of the $150,000 in prize money he won at the 2025 Australian Open.
Melbourne hasn't been all scandals and tennis for Djokovic, who is pictured helping his daughter Tara learn to surf during the Grand Slam.
Djokovic's very Australian tour switch at the Open came after he also took time out to attend a Big Bash League cricket match.
Medvedev went into crisis in his five-set victory over Thai wild card Kasidit Samrej, attacking a network camera and destroying his racquet in the process.
The camera was very, very strong, because my racket couldn't withstand the damage, but the camera did. “I was very surprised,” Medvedev said afterwards.
In his second-round match, he threw his racquet at billboards and skipped the early morning post-match press conference.
While most of his sanctions were for his destructive behavior, at least part of the monstrous fine was for skipping his media commitments.
The ATP regulations clearly establish that commitments to the media are mandatory.
“Unless injured and physically unable to perform, a player or team must be available, as determined by the ATP, on the court (television only), in the mixed zone or in the press conference area after the match. conclusion of each match, whether the player or the team was the winner or the loser,” the regulations establish.
Djokovic can consider himself lucky after other big names have been fined for the same offence.
Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 at the 2021 French Open for missing her press conference after her first-round victory, despite citing mental health reasons.
In a surprising twist, the four Slams issued a combined statement saying that fining Osaka was in the interest of “justice.”
“We want to emphasize that rules are in place to ensure that all players are treated exactly the same, regardless of their height, beliefs or achievements,” the statement read.
“As a sport, there is nothing more important than ensuring that no player has an unfair advantage over another, which is unfortunately the case in this situation if one player refuses to take the time to participate in media engagements while the others comply. their commitments.”
However, in 2023, Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka escaped sanction after refusing to give an official French Open post-match press conference, claiming she “didn't feel safe” due to the escalating war in Ukraine. .
“I should be able to feel confident when I interview journalists after my matches,” Sabalenka said at the time.
“For my own mental health and well-being, I have decided to get out of this situation today and the tournament has supported me in this decision.”