WATCH: “I hope he gets through all of this” Novak Djokovic breaks down in tears while paying tribute to the children massacred at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School
During his on-court interview,Novak Djokovis pays an emotional tribute to the victims of school violence in Belgarade, Serbia.
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Novak Djokovic (Credits: @TheTennisLetter/ Twitter)
Novak Djokovic won his first-round match in Rome Open against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. During his post-match interview, he expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of the school violence in Belgrade.
On Wednesday, a teenager opened fire at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Belgrade, Serbia. It killed eight children and the janitor, while several others were seriously injured. The shooter has been the school’s student since 2019 and was planning the attack for a month. The reason behind the attack is still unclear.
During the on-court interview, the Serbian paid his tribute to the victims of the school violence. As being born and brought up in Belgrade, the 35 year-old was deeply affected with the incident. While quite emotional, Djokovic said he could understand the pain of the families who lost their children in such devastating tragedy. He also wished everyone a happy St.Vasilij Ostroski Day.
“Sincere condolences to the parents. As a father, I can only imagine how those people feel. I hope he gets through all of this. And happy St. Vasilij Ostroski Day”, he said.
The World No.1 also wrote his condolence message on the television camera.“Saint Basil of Ostrog, pray to God for us. Elementary school ‘Ribnikar.’ My deepest condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy“.
The Australian Open champion had earlier addressed the tragedy through his social media. He paid his immediate tribute just after the news of the tragic incident broke out.
Djokovic will face Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 32 at the Italian Open tomorrow.
Novak Djokovic is eager for another Grand Slam title at the Roland Garros
Novak Djokovic is back to compete at the Italian Open, where he is the defending champion. With the tour just two weeks before the French Open, the Serbian is aiming to gain enough momentum to achieve his 23 Grand Slam trophy.
This year, Djokovic had a disappointing start to his clay season. In Monte-Carlo Masters, he faced a tough loss at the hands of Lorenzo Musetti. The 35 year-old received another crushing defeat in the quarter-finals of the Srpska Open, through his fellow national, Dusan Lajovic. He later went on to withdraw from the Madrid Open, citing problems with his elbow. In spite of the underperformance, the Australian Open champion is still in the race to win the French Open title.
Considering his biggest hurdle in the Grand Slam, Djokovic stated that Carlos Alcaraz is the one he is aiming to beat on clay. He praised the Spaniard for his outstanding skills and named him the upcoming number-one player.
“He’s going to be number one after this tournament whatever happens. Deservedly so. He has been playing some very impressive tennis, a great level. He’s the player to beat on this surface, no doubt“, he spoke at the press conference in Rome.
“We faced each other only once last year in Madrid.If we get a chance to face each other here, it would be in the final. I think we would both love to play in the final“, Djokovic further added.
Apart from Alcaraz, the ‘new generation’ players like Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, will also pose huge hurdles on Djokovic’s road to championship.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
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