3 times Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan landed himself and his son in controversy
Novak Djokovic, the nine-time Australian Open champion, cruised past Tommy Paul on Friday to set up a final against Stefanos Tsitsipas at Melbourne Park in the 2023 edition. The 35-year-old overcame a stutter in the first set, re-establishing his authority to defeat the American 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.
In the midst of all of this, the Serb has found himself under controversy once again on Australian soil, but this time it isn't because of his vaccination status. Rather, it's because of his father's alleged support for pro-Russian sentiments during his quarterfinal match against Andrey Rublev -- a stream of thought that is now being rubbished by Djokovic and his family.
It's also not the first time the World No. 5's father has done something that has sparked worldwide ire. On that note, let's take a look at the top three controversial tennis moments of Novak Djokovic's father, Srdjan Djokovic:
#3 Srdjan Djokovic compared his son's Australian Open ban to Jesus' crucifixion
An unvaccinated Novak Djokovic was granted a medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination requirements in order to compete in the 2022 Australian Open, but he was detained by border officials following a public outcry.
The Serb was subsequently barred from competing in the first Major of the year and deported from the country ten days later despite mounting a successful legal challenge. His ban was eventually lifted by tournament officials in November 2022, allowing him to play this year despite the fact that he is still unvaccinated.
During the deportation saga last year, however, his father, Srdjan Djokovic, launched an ardent defense of his son, comparing the tennis star's treatment at the hands of Australian authorities to Jesus' crucifixion. Needless to say, his remarks worsened the situation and brought both him and his son into disrepute.
"Jesus was crucified on the cross, and everything was done to him, but he is alive among us even now. Now Novak is being crucified, they are doing everything to him," he said in a press conference.
Djokovic's father Srdan in a press conference earlier today: "Jesus was crucified on the cross, and everything was done to him, but he is alive among us even now. Now Novak is being crucified, they are doing everything to him."
Srdjan also launched an attack on Scott Morrison, who was the prime minister of Australia back in 2022, claiming that the Australian wanted to humiliate the 21-time Grand Slam champion and bring him and his entire country to their "knees."
"The leader of that faraway land, Scott Morrison dared to attack Novak and expel him before he had reached their country. They had wanted to throw him to his knees, and not just him, but our beautiful Serbia," he said.
More from Srdjan Djokovic: "The leader of that faraway land, Scott Morrison… Dared to attack Novak and expel him before he had reached their country. They had wanted to throw him to his knees, and not just him, but our beautiful Serbia."
#2 Srdjan Djokovic's alleged pro-Russian sentiments
The incident took place during Djokovic's quarterfinal match against Andrey Rublev in 2023, where the Serb defeated the Russian in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals. Following the match, Srdjan Djokovic, posed for photographs with a group of supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A video posted on YouTube shows Srdjan posing with a man holding a Russian flag with Putin's face on it and wearing a t-shirt with the infamous 'Z' symbol, which is viewed as a vehemently pro-war representation of President Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
In an apparent demonstration of support for the Russian cause, Srdjan can be heard saying to the man as he prepares to leave, "Zivejli Russiyani." The phrase is translated as "long live the Russians" by the channel.
Check out the video here:
Srdjan released a statement after the incident earned him scorn on a global scale, claiming that he was only there to pose for photos with his son's fans and had no intention of supporting any pro-Russian activities.
"I am here to support my son only. I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption. 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," he said.
He went on to say that as his family has lived through the horrors of war, dating back to 1999 when NATO bombed Belgrade, Serbia's capital, for 11 weeks, he only wished for peace and chose not to attend the 35-year-old's semifinal match at Melbourne Park.
"My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace. So there is no disruption to tonight's semi-final for my son or for the other player, I have chosen to watch from home. I wish for a great match and I will be cheering for my son, as always," he said.
A statement from Srdjan Djokovic in light of Wednesday night's events.
Strong message that "my family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace" but that he will watch from home tonight to avoid disruption "for my son or for the other player".
#AusOpen https://t.co/rg9dlMLumK
More importantly, Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo is also contesting some of the translations, stating that they are a misrepresentation of the facts and that Srdjan is merely using a common farewell greeting instead of agreeing with the Russians as established in the video.
I have seen a lot of incorrect translations yesterday, what Srdjan Djokovic says is “Živeli, ljudi”, which in this context translates to “cheers, guys” and means “goodbye” at the same time. #AustralianOpen
#1 Srdjan Djokovic claimed Roger Federer attacked his son
When Srdjan Djokovic stated in an interview with Serbian TV channel K1 in 2021 that Roger Federer had attacked his son when he was younger, he found himself at the center of an acute controversy.
Srdjan referred to an incident from Switzerland vs. Serbia's Davis Cup match in 2006 in which Roger Federer referred to Novak Djokovic as "a joke." During his match against Stan Wawrinka, Djokovic repeatedly requested the trainer, which Federer thought was unnecessary.
He revealed that Federer attempted to "attack" the then-teenager Serb, adding that while the Swiss is a "great champion," he is not a "good man." Srjdan, however, failed to provide any proof to back up his remarks and did not explain what he meant by the term "attack."
"15 years ago, he attacked my son while he was still young, aged 18-19; he knew that someone would come who would be better than him. I said then that he was a great champion, the best at that time, but as much as he is a great champion, he is not as good a man," he said.
It was also not the first time Srdjan had taken a shot at Federer, claiming in 2020 that it was shameless for Federer, then 39, to continue playing tennis at this age simply because he couldn't accept Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic overpowering him in his career.
"[Djokovic and Federer] have developed a kind of respect over the years, but why do you think he still plays at 40?” Srdjan said, according to a SportKlub blog fed through Google Translate.
"Imagine that, a 40-year-old man still plays tennis, when he can go home and do some more interesting things. But since both Nadal and Novak are breathing down his neck, he simply cannot accept the fact that they will be better than him. Go man, raise children, do something else, go ski, do something. Tennis is not my whole life, it is just my son's current hobby. He is only a tennis player at the moment," he added.