“He said cheers,” Novak Djokovic slams media for “very wrong misinterpretations”, hopes to have his father back in the box for Australian Open finals
The World No5 expressed his anger at the media's handling of the controvery
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Srdan and Novak Djokovic
After his semifinal win over Tommy Paul in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic admitted that his father’s absence in his box affected him during the match. Djokovic’s father, Srdan, had opted not to attend the game after being accused of supporting the Russian war on Ukraine when he took a picture with a fan who happened to be wearing a t-shirt supporting the pro-war ‘Z’ symbol.
The image led to widespread criticism of Srjdan, which Novak Djokovic is clearly angered by. The World No.5 said, “It was unfortunate that the misinterpretation of what happened yesterday has escalated to such a high level. It has got to me, of course, as well. I was not aware of it till last night. Then, of course, I was not pleased to see that. My father, my whole family, and myself, have been through several wars during ‘90s. As my father put in a statement, we are against the war, we never will support any violence or any war. We know how devastating that is for the family and people in any country going through the war.”
Novak explained how his father ended up in the photo in the first place. He explained, “My father, as he said in the statement, has been going after every single match to meet with my fans at the main square here in Australian Open, to thank them for the support, to be with them, pay them respect, and make photos. The photo that he made, he was passing through. I heard what he said in the video. He said, Cheers. Unfortunately some of the media has interpreted that in a really wrong way.”
“My father, as I said, was passing through. There was a lot of Serbian flags around. That’s what he thought. He thought he was making photo with somebody from Serbia. That’s it. He moved on,” Djokovic said. He hopes people can turn a page on the incident. “I hope that people will let it be, and we can focus on tennis,” he said.
Djokovic was asked about whether Srjdan would be seen during the final. He replied, “Let’s see. Of course, it wasn’t pleasant not to have him in the box. It’s a decision that we made together. Just didn’t know how things will play out, I guess. Yeah, I hope to have him. I hope he’s going to be feeling okay to be in the courts because I would like to have him there for the finals.”
Novak Djokovic talks about Serbia vs Greek dynamic of the final
Novak Djokovic will face Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final for the 2023 Australian Open. Both players come from countries with substantial diasporas in Melbourne. The final will be played against that backdrop, with both players enjoying significant backing from the crowds.
However, some harmful elements have crept into those fanbases in recent weeks. About the situation, Djokovic said, “I hope that all the people who are going to come to the finals are going to be there for tennis and sport because that’s what we all wish for. We all wish that players, fans focus on tennis, celebrate this beautiful sport, marvel one of the most special matches throughout the year, which is slam final. There is four slams, and this is one of them.”
“Again, I’m really excited and privileged to be in that finals against Tsitsipas. You mentioned communities, Serbian and Greek communities, are big, for sure. The Serbs and Greeks historically get along very well. On the contrary, I think I’m confident that people will support their respective players respectfully, and let’s see what happens,” Djokovic concluded.
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Samarth Srivastava
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