Author of the article:
Washington Post
Victoria Bisset and Cindy Boren, The Washington Post
Srdjan Djokovic, the father of tennis star Novak Djokovic, said he would stay away from his son’s semifinal match at the Australian Open, after he was seen earlier this week posing with fans carrying pro-Russian symbols banned by the tournament.
In a statement released just hours before Friday’s game between his son and U.S. player Tommy Paul, Srdjan Djokovic confirmed he would not attend to avoid creating any “disruption,” saying: “I am here to support my son only.”
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A video shared online this week appeared to show Srdjan Djokovic standing alongside supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his son’s victory over Russian player Andrey Rublev on Wednesday.
One fan could be seen holding a Russian flag featuring an image of Putin, and wearing a T-shirt with the letter “Z,” which has become a pro-Russian symbol since the invasion of Ukraine. Srdjan Djokovic responded “Zivjeli Russiyani,” translated in the video as “Long live the Russians,” before walking away.
In his statement, Srdjan, who is Serbian, said he had taken photos with fans “as I have done after all of my son’s matches. I had no intention of being caught up in this.
“My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace,” he added.
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Although flags are normally permitted during Australian Open matches at Melbourne Park, Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags on the second day of this year’s tournaments after a Russian flag was displayed courtside during a first-round women’s match Monday between Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine and Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia. Tennis Australia then said the flags would be banned to avoid “disruption.”
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have only been allowed to compete at the Australian Open and a number of other tennis tournaments as “neutral” players, with no reference to their countries or flags, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Belarus supported. In other sporting events, including Wimbledon and the men’s soccer World Cup, they were completely banned from taking part.
“Throughout the event we’ve spoken with players and their teams about the importance of not engaging in any activity that causes distress or disruption,” Tennis Australia said in a statement Friday.
Noting Djokovic’s decision not to attend the match, the body said that it would “continue to strive for the safety of fans at the event,” and repeated that flags from Russia and Belarus were banned. “Tennis Australia stands with the call for peace and an end to war and violent conflict in Ukraine.”
