The father of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will not attend his son’s semi-final game at the Australian Open after he was filmed with a group of pro-Russia fans following an earlier match.
(Bloomberg) — The father of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will not attend his son’s semi-final game at the Australian Open after he was filmed with a group of pro-Russia fans following an earlier match.
In a statement issued via his son’s spokesperson, Srdjan Djokovic said he will watch the match on Friday night from home to ensure “no disruption.” He also denied he had intentionally joined the group and said he had merely been celebrating his son’s wins and taking photos with fans.
“I am here to support my son only,” he said. “My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace.”
Srdjan Djokovic was filmed at the impromptu gathering following his son’s quarter-final victory on Wednesday, where fans were shown holding up Russian flags and wearing shirts with the pro-war “Z” emblem. Footage posted on social media also showed them chanting slogans praising Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
Australian Open organizers faced pressure to take action after criticism from figures including former Ukrainian tennis player Alexandr Dolgopolov, now fighting in the war, and Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
While stopping short of issuing a ban to the player’s father, event organizer Tennis Australia said in a statement Friday that it reiterates its position of banning flags from Belarus and Russia, and had “swiftly” removed protest instigators from the venue. It added that it has told players and their teams throughout the event to avoid activities that cause “distress or disruption.”
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