ITF official slams Novak Djokovic's father, says his behavior "shouldn't be tolerated"
Novak Djokovic has been receiving a lot of flak lately, and the dust doesn't seem likely to settle down any time soon.
Post the suspension of the ATP Tour, Djokovic has been fishing in troubled waters, with many of his comments and actions being subjected to heavy criticism. It is now the turn of Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan to come in the firing line for his statements blaming Grigor Dimitrov for the COVID-19 fiasco at the Adria Tour.
Allegations of Novak Djokovic's father against Dimitrov "unjustifiable" and "shameful": ITF Board Member
Stefan Tzvetkov, president of the Sofia Open in Bulgaria and a member of the ITF board, was aghast at hearing the comments from Djokovic's father. Stefan called the allegations on Dimitrov ‘unjustifiable.’
Speaking to French sports newspaper L'Équipe, Stefan said:
"For me, it is shameful. The Serbs are our brothers in the Balkans and our neighbors, but Srdjan Djokovic, once again, is sending the wrong message to the whole world and I will say that this is unjustifiable behavior. I do not know all the facts of this case, but this must stop."
While acknowledging that Novak Djokovic is a champion, Stefan said that a part of the Serb's entourage doesn't conform to standards of fair play, tennis culture and ethics.
Novak Djokovic made a mistake and he should apologize by sticking to the facts: Stefan Tzvetkov
While being appreciative of the fact that Novak Djokovic had good intentions in mind while organizing the Adria Tour cross-country tournament, Tzvetkov didn't sound too pleased with the blatant disregard to safety precautions and the deflection of the blame. He went on to add:
“Novak Djokovic made a mistake in analysis. He can apologize, stick to the facts, but no one should accuse others."
Stefan Tzvetkov also took umbrage at Djokovic's father's distasteful comments directed towards Roger Federer. Djokovic Sr. earlier this month took several potshots at Roger Federer, saying that he should consider retirement given that Rafael Nadal and his son Novak are 'better' than him.
Tzvetkov expressed his disapproval of the comments made by Djokovic Sr. by saying:
"Point the finger at people, first Federer, now Grigor, this is totally unacceptable. And I say as a member of the ITF board, we have to stop this. Because the signal sent to children, to parents, is not the right one."
Emphasizing that Srdjan's repeated attacks don't bode well for the sport, Tzvetkov added:
"For too long, Srdjan has been accusing, talking about others in a bad way and this should not be tolerated by the tennis world."
Novak Djokovic's image has taken a severe beating over the last few months. The anti-Djokovic sentiment that had been building up steadily ever since the start of the lockdown - in response to his anti-vaccination stand, his pseudoscientific chats and his US Open indecisiveness - has reached its peak with the Adria Tour debacle.
Presently, the World No. 1 and his wife Jelena are in self-isolation in Belgrade after testing positive for coronavirus.
Novak Djokovic has faced numerous challenges in his professional career and has overcome all of them with gusto, time and again silencing his critics with his mental strength and never-say-die attitude. His fans would be hoping that the Serb emerges healthy and victorious following this episode too.