Novak Djokovic’s father is free to attend Sunday night’s Australian Open final, but it is unclear if Srdjan Djokovic will be at Rod Laver Arena, where his tennis legend son will try to equal the men’s record for most majors won.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley confirmed that the elder Djokovic had not breached any event entry policies when he was recorded on Wednesday night while posing for photographs with pro-Vladimir Putin activists outside Rod Laver Arena.
Srdjan Djokovic.Credit:AP
“But certainly the individual who was inciting the crowd [during the protest by fans supporting Vladimir Putin], he did, and he was removed,” Tiley said.
“I think there’s been some misinterpretation about what Djokovic’s dad did and some incorrect reporting on what he said.
“But at the end of the day he didn’t breach any event policy and I know in talking to the family they were devastated that that happened.
“It was just unfortunate that that happened and it created an association [between the senior Djokovic and the pro-Russian contingent].”
In the video from last Wednesday, Srdjan appears alongside spectators who are speaking Russian, carrying Russian flags and chanting messages of support for Putin. He appeared to say: “long live the Russians”, igniting a firestorm of international media coverage. Serbian journalists and Djokovic have since said the translation was wrong.
But Slavic languages expert Slobodanka Vladiv-Glover, who analysed the audio, said she was fairly confident Djokovic said “ziveli rusi”, which translates to “long live the Russians”. In Serbian, the word ziveli can mean both “cheers” and something akin to “hail” or “long live”.
Russian fans attending the Serbian’s straight sets win over Rublev on Wednesday night were detained by police and four men were evicted after allegedly threatening security.
“That’s what great about the Australian Open. There’s a lot of energy and people have a good time.
“And it was just a few individuals in that group that ruined it for everyone, and they’ve since been removed from the site and are not allowed back.
“And he [Djokovic senior] just got caught up in that.
“The things that I read that was claimed he had said is what he indicated he did not say and I believe him.”
Srdjan Djokovic did not attend his son’s semi-final win over Tommy Paul.
Earlier on Friday Dokovic senior said he had no intention of being caught up in last Wednesday’s events.
“I am here to support my son only. I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption,” he said via a statement.
“I was outside with Novak’s fans, as I have done after all of my son’s matches to celebrate his wins and take pictures with them. 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.”
In the statement on Friday, Srdjan Djokovic did not deny making comments relating to Russia.
On Friday night Novak Djokovic said the activists, some of whom held flags depicting Putin, had “misused” his father and that there was “no intention” for Srdjan to be associated with their demonstration.
Russian flags and other items bearing Russian or Belarusian insignia are banned at Melbourne Park following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The invasion has gone on for almost 12 months and thousands of civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations.
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