Tony Jones’s co-stars on Channel Nine’s Australian Open coverage expressed concern for him after he took a heavy fall and appeared to injure his knee on live TV on Sunday morning.
The veteran sports journalist was playing a game of pickleball while teamed up with his co-host and former tennis star John Millman when he took a hard tumble on the court and couldn’t immediately get up.
Jones moved to his right to hit a forehand, lost his footing and crashed to the ground, landing heavily on his right knee and grabbing at it straight away as Millman exclaimed, ‘Oh s**t!’
A white mark was visible on the court where Jones’s knee had scraped along the ground.
Nine stars and the other members of the pickleball teams were visibly concerned for Jones, who was assisted by another of his co-hosts, former tennis star Casey Dellacqua, who was soon joined by Millman.
‘Oh no, the knee’s gone,’ said Nine commentator Peter Psaltis.
Pictured: Tony Jones grabs his right knee after falling heavily on it during a game of pickleball on Channel Nine on Sunday morning
The sports presenter was in obvious pain as his co-host, former tennis star Casey Dellacqua (left), rushed to help him. The white mark on the court shows where Jones slammed into it
Dellacqua and another tennis star turned Nine presenter, John Millman (right), tried to help Jones to his feet, but he refused to be lifted up as Nine abruptly cut to an ad break
An obviously hurt Jones resisted attempts to help him to his feet, telling Dellacqua and one of the other pickleball players, ‘Hang on.’
Nine then abruptly cut to a commercial break as Jones rolled over on to the left side of his body, unable to stand under his own power.
When the show returned, Jones was seated behind the desk as he carried on with his hosting duties.
‘TJ, great effort here,’ Dokic said.
‘Great effort?’ a surprised Jones replied.
‘Yeah, that was like a Boris Becker dodge, and you are OK, we’re confirming that, we’re getting you some ice. Great effort, got to say, do we like pickleball?’
‘No, not anymore I don’t,’ Jones joked.
‘It’s a violent, violent sport. Kids, if you’re watching, never play pickleball.’
Jones (pictured) was in good spirits after the commercial break, joking that pickleball is a ‘violent, violent sport’
The 64-year-old made headlines for all the wrong reasons at last year’s Australian Open
After clarifying that the fall ‘did hurt’ and that he believes the sport can be played safely by ‘all ages’, Jones admitted he might have taken things too far on the court.
‘You do tend to get a little competitive and that got a little too competitive,’ he told Dokic.
Later on in the show, Nine reporter Sam McClure told Jones, ‘It looked nasty, I must say.’
When footage of the incident was shared on social media, several commenters joked about it getting a run once the Sunday Footy Show – which Jones also hosts – starts up ahead of the AFL season in March.
Jones – who has been nicknamed ‘Chompers’ – made headlines around the world for his behaviour at last year’s Australian Open.
The 64-year-old was forced to apologise to Novak Djokovic after he took offence to comments Jones made about his fans at the Australian Open.
Djokovic had said he would boycott interviews at the tournament until he received a public apology from Jones, who had claimed, during a live broadcast, that the former world No.1 was ‘overrated’ and appeared to reference how the Serbian was deported from Australia in 2021, due to the country’s Covid-19 restrictions.
Jones had been standing on a gantry at Melbourne Park when fans waving Serbian flags had gathered behind him.
He appeared to taunt the fans, saying: ‘Novak’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out…Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me.’
Djokovic branded it disrespectful.
Both Nine and Jones issued apologies to Djokovic.
