Nick Kyrgios blasts Australian TV host over comments against Novak Djokovic’s fans

Nick Kyrgios has blasted veteran Australian presenter Tony Jones over his comments about Novak Djokovic fans outside Melbourne Park. Jones has been with Network Nine for over three decades.

The controversy erupted when footage of Jones’ testy interaction with Djokovic fans outside the stadium emerged online. Against a background of vocal Djokovic supporters waving Serbian flags, he sarcastically suggested what the Serb’s supporters were chanting:

“‘Novak, he’s overrated,’ ‘Novak’s a has-been,’ ‘Novak, kick him out.’ Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me.”

Jones’ alleged disrespect towards Djokovic fans has triggered massive outrage on social media, with the Serbian’s followers fuming over alleged bias against the former World No. 1. Many have also asked for the veteran presenter’s sacking. Kyrgios, a staunch supporter of the Serb, shared the clip on his Instagram story and wrote:

“Coming from this clown – couldn’t run around a park this bloke.”

Kyrgios and Djokovic share a warm rapport and had paired up as a doubles team at the season-opening Brisbane International earlier this month. The duo also shared a heartfelt moment backstage after the home-hope’s first-round exit at the 2025 Australian Open.

Kyrgios also defended Djokovic during his deportation saga in Australia in 2022. Djokovic was forced to leave the country after arriving for the Open without getting inoculated against COVID-19. The duo, however, has not always shared positive chemistry. The Australian had once slammed the Serb as “cringeworthy” and claimed he had a “sick obsession with wanting to be liked.”

Novak Djokovic hints he was poisoned in Australia

Novak Djokovic has suggested that he could have been poisoned in Australia in 2022 while awaiting the verdict on whether he could participate in the Major. He told GQ:

“I had some health issues. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me. I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I was, I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had the lead, very high level of lead and mercury.”

Djokovic has made it into the fourth round of the ongoing Australian Open, where he is set to face Czech Jiri Lehecka to earn a ticket into the last eight. This year, the Serb has added longtime rival Andy Murray to his team as a coach.

Edited by Aayush Kapoor