Jim Courier: Channel 9 row may be “net positive” for fired up Novak Djokovic at Australian Open

Jim Courier beamed in from Melbourne to visit Tennis Channel Live and discuss the latest Australian Open controversy, one for which he had a front row seat.

Courier was set to host the traditional on-court interview following Novak Djokovic’s fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion abruptly declined the chat, briefly acknowledging the fans before departing to a chorus of boos from the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

Read more: Novak Djokovic boycotts Channel 9 amid Australian Open row

“I certainly didn’t expect Novak to look at me with a quizzical look like, ‘Why are you out here?’” Courier told Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman and fellow Grand Slam champions Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova. “I think he thought that we should have known that he wasn’t going to do that. I had no inside information. There was no problem on the court, but once he said he didn’t want to do the interview, that’s fine.”

I’m not out representing Channel 9; I’m representing Tennis Australia, and this is an interview that goes out to the world. It’s a chance for all these players, not just Novak, to communicate directly to their fans, and I hope that they’ll realize that there’s more opportunity for good there than making a point. Jim Courier

Djokovic later clarified that his decision to boycott the interview stemmed from earlier comments aired by host broadcaster Channel 9 and newsreader Tony Jones, who appeared to mock Djokovic’s supporters as they cheered for him on the grounds.

“Since they're official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9,” explained Djokovic, who had not, at the time, received an apology from Jones or Channel 9.

“It was one of those things where I certainly knew there was frustration within Novak’s camp with what had transpired with Tony Jones, someone I’ve worked with from time to time on Channel 9,” said Courier. “Tony’s a guy who likes to have a laugh, and he certainly overstepped his bounds there…he’s clawed that back and apologized, and I hope that will settle things down.”

Jones and Channel 9 have both since issued apologies, which should clear the way for Djokovic to resume on-court interviews should he defeat No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz in a highly-anticipated quarterfinal.

Courier, who views the on-court interview as an optional but ultimately non-partisan post-match ritual, posited that the dust-up could ultimately help Djokovic, who has long thrived in the face of adversity, as he digs into the business end of the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.

“One of Novak’s great qualities is he finds things to fire himself up and motivate him. He certainly has that extra edge here at this tournament. Overall, while this is not a super great thing for the tournament, I think, for Novak, it might turn out to be a net positive, because he is definitely motivated in a big way for lots of reasons.”