“Did not intend to cause such headlines or disruption,” said the Serbian tennis player’s father after posing with pro-Russian fans waving flags with the “Z” symbol.
Novak Djokovic’s father has expressed regret over the incident involving a pro-Russian crowd during the Tennis Australian Open and decided against attending his son’s semi-final match on Friday. “I’m here to support my son. I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption,” said Srdjan Djokovic in a statement published by Australian newspaper The Age, among others.
“So that tonight’s semi-final is not disturbed for my son or the other player, I decided to watch it at home,” said the father of the Serbian star, who played in the duel with the American Tommy Paul (9.30 a.m.CET/Eurosport) wants to make the final perfect.
He just wanted to party with fans
A video of Srdjan Djokovic walking with others behind a Russian flag with a portrait of Russia’s President in Melbourne Park caused a stir on Thursday Wladimir Putin poses. Next to him is a man wearing a T-shirt with the “Z” sign on it, which is considered a symbol of support for Russia, including the invasion of Ukraine. The video was published on a YouTube channel and is said to have been taken after Djokovic’s quarter-final win over Russia’s Andrei Rublev on Wednesday.
“I had no intention of getting involved in this,” Srdjan Djokovic said of the incident. He just wanted to celebrate with the fans and take pictures. He emphasized that he would “only wish for peace” since his family had also experienced “the horrors of war”.
After the incident, the organizers of the Australian Open had again pointed out to the players and their teams that certain flags and symbols were banned. But there were also voices calling for a tournament ban for Srdjan Djokovic.
(APA/DPA)