Novak Djokovic told to toughen up after spat with Tony Jones and his employer Channel 9

24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic has been called out for his overblown response to Tony Jones’ Aussie Open banter.

COMMENT

Novak Djokovic is a modern day ironman of world tennis who’s outlasted everyone including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Dan Andrews.

Combining unquenchable desire with a flawless all-round game, the Serb is a titan of the game who’s nigh on invincible when his nostrils flare and his engine hums.

Throw in his 24 Grand Slam championships and 99 career titles, and it’s patently clear there is nothing in the game he can’t handle.

Except an old bloke bantzing on the news.

Djokovic’s reaction to Tony Jones’ gentle jibing has been as overblown as it’s been perplexing, with everyone puzzled how one of the greatest athletes of all time could fold so easily to some neville called ‘Chompers’.

Not only has the 10-time Australian Open champ boycotted Channel Nine and brushed Jim Courier in response, he’s got everyone else weighing in from the Serbian Embassy right up to the Prime Minister.

Novak Djokovic snubbed Jim Courier following his fourth round win. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

For an alpha-male with so much confidence that his head’s big enough to have its own international airport - and after winning more trophies than Jesus, rightly so - Djokovic has overcooked this to a crisp and created a furore from a foot fault.

Yes, Jones’ call to “kick him out” was obviously out of line - after all, everyone knows the proper term in tennis is ‘bundled out’.

But in all seriousness, the Djoker was well within his rights to be triggered by this statement considering the arcane treatment doled out to him by the Andrews government during the height of covid lockdown hysteria.

As for the rest of the journalist’s wisecracks though, they were nothing more than base gibber.

Jones has since apologised, admitting his gags were “misinterpreted as an attack on Novak.”

“That was certainly not the case. I’ve been joking with Serbian fans throughout the tournament and this is – at least I thought so – a continuation of that.

“If you watch our morning show, you’ll get an idea of how we work. At no point did I mean to show any disrespect to Novak and I apologise – there was certainly no intention to offend him.”

Novak Djokovic has never completely had the love and adoration of Aussie fans. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Australian TV sports presenter and journalist Tony Jones sparked a major incident at the Australian Open. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)

Nobody is questioning the substance of Djokovic, a warrior who has gone toe-to-toe in bruising baseline wars and even survived being poisoned by Melbourne food.

And considering he’s enjoyed less than favourable treatment from Aussie crowds over the years - sometimes only because he didn’t charm the pants off us like Federer and Nadal - you also can’t blame the bloke for being on a war footing whenever he sets foot in the country.

Furthermore, he should never be criticised for his trait of doing anything to protect Serbian fans, even if it means standing in the firing line of 48 hours of tedious carrot-brain takes on the internet.

But he needs to toughen up, and have a quick squizz at his own Wikipedia page in the process.

Considering the controversy he’s courted over the years for everything from throwing covid parties to smashing a ball at a lineswoman’s throat, Djokovic getting shirty over some lame gags is a principled stand with more holes than a colander.

And whether he’s still dirty because we unfairly held him up to the standards of demigods - or he’s merely attempting to reclaim his mantle as the tournament’s top seed villain from Danielle Collins - the 37-year-old has uncharacteristically emerged looking as soft as custard and with the same thin skin.

Sure, Jones’ behaviour was unprofessional and cringey, but the only thing he’s guilty of is being a daggy boofhead who veered off the autocue.

He gets belted on The Footy Show every week and continues to pay dearly for a failed attempt to kiss Bec Judd that generated enough cringe to peel paint, yet he continues to maintain a cheery disposition throughout.

And this, in a nutshell, is how Australia’s sports broadcast culture operates.

Whether you like it or not, our sports telecasts are unlike the slick productions of American and European broadcasters as in they produce sports broadcasts high on mirth and low on sports.

Nobody’s saying Djokovic needs to do 13 hours deep diving Billy Brownless and Fatty Vautin, but after 20 summers in Australia you’d hope any “overrated” claim directed at a bloke with 24 Grand Slam titles and $185m in career earnings could be identified as rampant sarcasm.

If Djokovic had his time again, he should’ve used his first question from Courier to return serve on Jones’ chompers before signing off with a head wobble.

– Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad. He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.