“I considered it to be humor, which is consistent with most things I do,” Jones said. “Having said that, I was made aware … that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments. I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them. And as I stand here now, I stand by that apology to Novak.”
Jones also offered words to Serbians.
“I do feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans,” he said. “I’m not just saying this to try and wriggle out of trouble or anything. I genuinely feel for those fans.”
Serbia’s ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, even got involved Monday, telling the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that Jones’ comments were “clearly unprofessional,” including a “most concerning” reference to what happened three years ago when Djokovic was kicked out of the country ahead of the tournament amid the pandemic.
Before Jones and his employer offered their apologies, Djokovic posted a message on social media reiterating why he declined to speak. That drew a reply from billionaire X owner Elon Musk, who said, “It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media.”
Djokovic replied to Musk’s tweet with “Indeed” and a raised-hands emoji.
AP Sports Writer John Pye in Brisbane, Australia, contributed.
