Novak Djokovic's reason for refusing Australian Open interview as ...

Novak Djokovic has demanded an apology after storming out of his post-match interview following his Australian Open win on Sunday.

The Serbian maestro, 37, saw off Jiri Lehecka in straight-sets to book his place in the quarter-finals but opted not to conduct the traditional on-court interview with Jim Courier afterwards. During his post-match press conference, Djokovic explained that he skipped the interview in protest of anti-Serbian comments made by Tony Jones, a presenter on the Channel 9 network, who are broadcasting the tournament in Australia.

He added that he'll continue to skip them until an apology is issued, even if he gets fined. "I would like to just clarify the reason why the interview was not conducted on the court, the post-match interview, like it's a common, usual practice," Djokovic told reporters.

"[A] couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster, Channel 9 here in Australia, made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me. And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9.

"So since they're official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9. I have nothing against Jim Courier or neither the Australian public. It was a very awkward situation for me to face on the court today.

"It's unfortunate I chose to say something to the crowd, but obviously wasn't the time and space or situation for me to explain what I'm doing right now. I leave it to Channel 9 to handle this the way they think they see fit. That's all." Asked if his stance would remain until he gets an apology, he said: "Yes, exactly."

Jones made the disparaging remarks during a live broadcast in front of a group of Djokovic supporters waving Serbian flags in Melbourne Park on Friday evening. He turned towards the fans and snarkily sang: "Novak, he's overrated. Novak's a has-been. Novak, kick him out."

During Sunday's win, Djokovic was visibly irritated by some disruptive fans throughout. The crowd were overwhelmingly against the 24-time Grand Slam champion - who was infamously deported from Australia over his Covid-19 vaccination status in 2022 - and weren't shy about letting him know how they felt.

Things got so bad that the umpire had to tell the crowd off for yelling as Djokovic was about to serve. After clinching victory, Djokovic kept his celebrations muted, but looked visibly-irked as his packed his bags by the side of the court.

After being approached by Courier, Djokovic took the mic and addressed the crowd directly. "Thank you very much for being here tonight, I appreciate your presence and support and I will see you in the next round," he said, before striding off as a smattering of boos echoed around the arena.

Djokovic will face long-time foe Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight, and a victory there will set up a semi-final clash with either Tommy Paul or Alexander Zverev. The Belgrade native has an incredible record in Melbourne, having clinched the title a staggering 10 times.

He's just one Grand Slam victory away from surpassing Margaret Court's record and becoming, statistically, the most successful tennis player of all time, and is running out of time to do it. The Australian Open has always been Djokovic's fortress, making this month's tournament arguably his best chance. But he'll need to be at his absolute best to overcome Alcaraz and the rest of a fiercely competitive field.