BEN MCCLELLAN: Novak Djokovic using Tony Jones insults to drive him to 11th Australian Open title

There will be plenty of fans cheering on Novak Djokovic tonight, not just because they want him to beat Carlos Alcaraz, but because we are all wanting to see if he really has “moved on” from the insulting on-air sledges from a Channel Nine journalist that he was a “has-been”.

And the only way we will know that is if he does a post-win on interview with the host broadcaster he had threatened to shun.

Alcaraz will be hoping the controversy has been a distraction for the 24-time grand slam and 10-time Australian Open winner as he looks to continue his ascendancy over the old guard with Djokovic the only hold-out of the big three left on the ATP circuit after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal called it quits.

Tony Jones’ comments mocking Serbian fans, who were waving flags in the background during his live cross on Friday night, and his gibes at Djokovic directly, were off-colour at best but hard for them to be construed as racism as the Serbian Council of Australia has claimed.

But they were bad enough for Djokovic to get his back up about it, possibly as the comments about him being “overrated” likely hit a nerve as he enters the twilight of his career.

Djokovic has not won a grand slam since the 2023 US Open and last won The Australian Open the same year so winning the first slam of 2025, which would put him on par with Australian legend Margaret Court with 11 Australian Open titles, would send a clear message to his younger rivals that he was not done yet.

Djokovic appears to thrive on controversy and believing the tennis world is out to get him – especially Down Under.

His camp will be using the Jones fallout as motivation to push the former world No.1 to overcome Alcaraz and then possibly Jannik Sinner – or hopefully even Alex De Minaur - in the final if he makes it that far.

While Djokovic says he harbours no ill feelings from the 2022 COVID saga where he was quarantined, and then deported, without playing in his beloved Australian Open, it’s hard not to think that has played a role in his dramatic reaction to Jones’ poorly delivered banter.

Part of what Jones had hoped would be interpreted as light-hearted banter was flippantly suggesting they should get Djokovic “outta here”, which would have stirred up bad memories of the star’s ill-fated 2022 trip.

Hoping for maximum shock effect Djokovic gave no heads up to Channel Nine he would not participate in the post-match winner’s interview on Sunday and only delivered a brief statement before walking off as the crowd booed.

The strategy worked with journalists scrambling to ascertain what the issue was before Djokovic made clear at the press conference why he felt aggrieved and demanding a public apology.

Jones had no choice but to go on morning TV to explain himself where he revealed another plot twist by stating he had already apologised to Djokovic’s camp privately over the weekend.

So if he had apologised why was Djokovic still so upset? If he had accepted the private apology Djokovic would have been denied the limelight to make a larger song and dance out of the issue, eliciting sympathy from tennis fans far and wide.

By keeping what could have been an off-Broadway drama firmly on the main stage Djokovic has assured he is the headlines not his younger rivals.

With public sympathy drawn and some critics saying Djokovic was overreacting it was left to Tennis Australia to say Djokovic had acknowledged the apology.

“Novak acknowledges the apology has been given in public as requested, and is now moving on and focusing on his next match,” it said.

And then just for good measure Djokovic’s new bestie Nick Kyrgios laid the boot into Jones.

“How the f*** does this guy still have a f..king job? It is putrid stuff,” he said.

“Tony Jones, you absolute flop. F..king Chompers mate.”

Kyrgios’ comments did really add much to the public discourse on the issue after Prime Minster Anthony Albanese asked for more kindness and respect, which was a bit rich coming from a bloke whose spends most of his time bagging his professional rival.

It feels like Djokovic’s best chance of securing that elusive 11th Australian Open title is this week and by framing himself yet again as the victim it will provide him with the motivation to overcome his ageing body and defy the odds.

He will need all the help he can get against the energetic Spaniard who has not lost a set this tournament.

Alcaraz, the world No.3, has four grand slams to his name but is yet to lift The Australian Open trophy, something Djokovic knows a lot about.