7 News presenters, Rebecca Maddern and Mike Amor, made derogatory comments during an ad break and were unaware they were being filmed.
Maddern questioned the legitimacy of Novak Djokovic's positive COVID-19 test while not realising they were still on camera, with one calling the Serbian a "lying, sneaky asshole."
The world number one won a court battle to stay in Australia on Monday after a judge ruled that the decision by Australian Border Forces to revoke his visa should be overturned.
Djokovic's lawyers revealed during the case that the 34-year-old qualified for a medical exemption to participate in the Australian Open without a vaccine against COVID-19 because he had tested positive for the virus on December 16.
Warning contains swearing
Novak Djokovic is back on the court - as the Australian Open begins next week.
There's still no decision from the Immigration Minister who's threatened to cancel his visa a second time.
Update from Channel 7
Channel 7 has launched an exhaustive investigation into the leaking of footage of Rebecca Maddern and Mike Amor slamming Novak Djokovic in a private conversation at the 7News desk.
The studio feed in which Maddern describes Djokovic as being a “lying, sneaking, arsehole” to Amor went viral on social media on Tuesday night.
Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin said an investigation was already well advanced.
“There has been an illegal recording of a private conversation,” Martin told 3AW.
“It is something that is going to be looked at and is being looked at thoroughly.
“We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal.”
“People’s motivation for why they have done this can vary from well-intended, (to) naive, to a more sinister outcome.
