“Somebody committed a criminal act,” Novak Djokovic did not hold back in criticizing Davis Cup organizers for scamming fans with limited tickets in 2015
Novak Djokovic did not hold back in criticizing the organizers for the sale of Davis Cup tickets.
Follow Us
Novak Djokovic (Source: Wimbledon 2023)
Novak Djokovic is among the few tennis players who have never shied away from expressing their opinions. He has been criticized for his comments on several occasions, but that has not stopped the Serbian from giving his honest opinion. In 2015, he lashed out at the Davis Cup organizers for their mishandling of the tickets for the tie between Serbia and Croatia.
The tie was one of the most anticipated matches in the Davis Cup in 2015 given the history between the two Balkan nations. The tie took place in Kraljevo, Serbia at the Kraljevo Sports Centre. Most of the stands waiting outside the stadium to purchase the tickets had to return home empty-handed.
Novak Djokovic lashed out at the authorities, as police started their investigation on a potential controversy regarding the tickets. The Serbian stated that the organizers had committed a criminal act in holding back the tickets, as they disappeared within minutes of their launch.
“It is clear that somebody committed a criminal act, and someone absolutely must be held responsible I am very disappointed. Tickets cannot disappear after 13 minutes … unless you put only 50 up for sale,” Djokovic had said, as quoted by New York Tennis Magazine.
Novak Djokovic condemns organizers for mishandling of tickets
The organizers revealed that 1,500 tickets would be made available for the event, as the stadium holds a capacity of 3,000 people. The rest of the tickets would be reserved for special guests, which include politicians and other prominent figures.
Only 50 tickets went on sale, which stirred a huge controversy. In fact, Novak Djokovic suspected that the tickets never went on sale in the first place. The police quickly decided to investigate the matter to see if there was a possible violation of the law. “In the end, all were sold, though the sale never started. I regret all of this because we picked Kraljevo, wanting to bring the event to the people there,” he added.
Serbia humbled Croatia in the last 16 encounter, as they won the tie by a scoreline of 5-0. Croatia fielded a depleted side as they missed several of their key players due to injury. 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic was the key absentee for Croatia. Novak Djokovic competed in one singles and doubles encounter each, winning both in straight sets. However, Serbia went on to lose their quarterfinal fixture against Argentina, who defeated them by a scoreline of 4-1.
In Case You Missed It:
- “I want this guy to know,” Ben Shelton talks about his ‘biggest’ career match against Novak Djokovic at the US Open 2023
- Novak Djokovic’s 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open has ended all debates claims Justine Henin who jokes on how people are finding new parameters to compare
Stay Updated!
Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)