Six months after an infamous gaffe made by Channel 9 reporter Tony Jones about Novak Djokovic on live television during the Australian Open, the Nine Network has been forced to make an embarrassing second official apology for the joke gone wrong.

Jones drew the ire of the entire globe when he mocked Djokovic and a group of Serbian fans during Nine’s 6pm news on January 17.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Novak Djokovic explains on-court interview snub after Tony Jones comments.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Unbeknownst to the Serbian fans who were cheering out of earshot from Jones, the veteran sport reporter and presenter offered his own chant with offensive comments about Djokovic.

“Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out,” Jones chanted while live on-air.

The comments referenced Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia when he refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Two days later on January 19, Djokovic boycotted the customary on-court interview with the host broadcaster after winning his fourth-round clash with Jiri Lehecka.

He later explained it was because of Jones’s taunt, adding he would continue to refuse an interview with Nine until he had received an apology.

Jones apologied the next day on Nine’s breakfast program while the company also released a written apology online.

Now, the broadcaster has published a second apology, specifically to Serbian Council of Australia, on its website.

“On 17 January 2025, 9News Melbourne aired a live broadcast as part of its 6pm bulletin that referred to Novak Djokovic’s attendance at the Australian Open (Broadcast),” the statement reads.

“Nine sincerely apologises to the Serbian Council of Australia, its members and the wider Serbian-Australian community for any offence caused as a result of the Broadcast.

“No harm, nor any offence, was intended to the Serbian-Australian community.

“Nine thanks, and is pleased to have co-operatively worked with, the Serbian Council of Australia to address and resolve their concerns in respect of the Broadcast.”

Nine has for many years sent Jones to Wimbledon to lead its coverage of the prestigious major tournament, but decided against doing so this year — a decision owing to the January saga, it’s understood.

In his apology at the time, Jones described his gaffe as a poor attempt at humour.

“I considered it to be humour, which is consistent with most things I do,” Jones said in January.

“Having said that, I was made aware on the Saturday morning from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.

“As such, 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. I do apologise if he felt that I disrespected him.

“Now, I can stand here and put whatever spin I want on that, but it can only be interpreted as a throwback to the COVID years when he was kicked out (of Australia).

“That has angered Novak, which I completely understand now.

“They (the Serbian fans) come here with the flags and they provide so much colour and so much passion and there was banter, so I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter.

“Quite clearly that hasn’t been interpreted that way. So, I do feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”