Novak Djokovic’s Mural Vandalized in Belgrade Amid Ongoing Tension with the Serbian Government
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Paris Masters for the second consecutive year.
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Novak Djokovic (via X/Tennis head/Instagram)
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Novak Djokovic’s mural was left defaced in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade after he recently left his home country for a fresh start in Athens, Greece. The 38-year-old publicly criticized the government of his country in recent months, which has also led to public outrage for siding with protesters.
Djokovic has been a target of media outlets across Serbia who strongly stand with President Aleksandar Vucic. This is largely due to Djokovic’s support for student protests after 16 students died following the collapse of a railway station in Novi Sad. The protests were aimed directly at Vucic’s government for its corrupt practices.
The former World No. 1’s support for the protest obviously didn’t go well with part of the political class in Serbia, particularly the president. He was once beloved in his country and was given a grand ceremony after winning his first Olympic gold medal in Paris last year, but all that has changed since the protest.
The criticism towards Djokovic forced him to relocate his family from Belgrade to Athens in Greece. Nonetheless, recently a picture of his defaced mural was posted on Instagram. The mural pictured the 24-time Grand Slam champion in all-white Wimbledon style. Djokovic is a seven-time winner of the iconic SW19.
On Instagram, Serbian street artist Andrej Josifovski was not impressed with Djokovic’s mural defaced. However, he added that retaliation is coming for whosoever defaced the mural, while adding a consolation message to the former World No.1:
Imagine that great patriot in an orange jacket and a cap, sneaking around at night, then stopping in front of Novak (YES, NOVAK!) – looking him in the eyes and throwing paint on his face and body. That’s the fine Serbian youth from the cage who just want to learn how to paint graffiti. We conquered the peak of the bottom long ago, but now we’re heading into the stratosphere. Don’t worry, my brother @djokernole, retaliation is coming – but without a mask, in broad daylight, the way we do it.
Djokovic isn’t the only one who has left his home country, the ATP 250 tournament that has often been played in Belgrade has now found a new home in Greece and has changed to the Athens Open. Djokovic won the maiden edition of the tournament in 2021, beating Alex Molcan in straight sets in the final.
Novak Djokovic’s brother reveals the next tournament that the 38-year-old will feature in
Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not play at the Paris Masters for the second consecutive year. He has not played at the tournament since winning it in 2023. However, he’s scheduled to return to the court at the Hellenic Championship, the ATP 250 tournament that is now being played in Greece.
During a pre-tournament press conference, Djokovic’s brother, Djordje Djokovic suggested that the 38-year-old will compete at the Hellenic Open. He added that Djokovic withdrew from the Paris Masters because he wanted to recover from specific problems:
He feels good now, he is doing everything in his power to be in the best possible condition and play in Athens. He withdrew from Paris, but he is working hard to recover. He has specific problems that worsened in Shanghai. He has said how important it is for him to play in this competition, in front of the Greek fans.
Djokovic’s last match on tour was at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Valentin Vacherot in straight sets. The Serbian legend struggled with the humid conditions of the tournament, and in the early stages, vomited during his matches.
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