January 26, 2023 - 5:57pm
Novak Djokovic can’t catch a break. Last year, the tennis star was deported from Australia for breaching the country’s border rules implemented after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. And now his father, Srdjan Djokovic, has been filmed posing with fans brandishing pro-Russian flags at the Australian Open, who have been identified as a Moscow-based motorcycle gang known as ‘Night Wolves’. On top of that, it has been reported that Srdjan chanted “Long live Russia” following his son’s match against Andrey Rublev.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, labelled the flag-waving ‘shameful‘ and later went on to tweet: ‘It’s a full package. Among the Serbian flags, there is: a Russian flag, Putin, Z-symbol, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic flag’. Although no official punishments have as yet been meted out, the tournament director made it clear that there would be repercussions if it were to happen again.
This is not the first time Srdjan has attracted controversy. In fact, back in Serbia he has a reputation as something of a rabble-rouser. For example, last year, while Novak was detained in Australia, his father organised conferences and protests around Belgrade. During such events, he would claim that:
Srdjan Djokovic was born in Kosovo in 1961. He met his future wife and Novak’s mother at the Kopaonik mountain range, where the Djokovic family owned and ran a restaurant. The family struggled with money, but managed to cover Novak’s tennis expenses while his father travelled with him.
As Novak’s profile grew, so did Srdjan’s. Although his son refrained from talking politics — saying that it should be divorced from sports — Srdjan went in the other direction. Over the years, he became closer with President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party, attending their rallies and celebrations. In fact, it is rumoured that Srdjan engaged in some unscrupulous dealmaking thanks to his alignment with the Party and the government. Notably, he secured a controversial construction license to expand Novak Tennis Centre around the Kalemegdan fortress, despite the concern expressed by the country’s Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.
But a more troubling, anti-Western streak also began to emerge: appearing on the pro-Russian news channel Sputnik, Srdjan argued that no one could take Kosovo away from the Serbs, and that Serbia without Kosovo is like “a body without a soul”. Then, in 2021, Srdjan went so far as to say that the “West doesn’t like [Novak]” after the fallout over his vaccine status.
Join the discussion
Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.
Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.
SubscribeSeems like yet another case of a parent living through the accomplishments of their child. It’s the last resort of the talentless.
Close, but the a deeper last resort of the talentless is to live through the accomplishments of their forebears. Difference being that a parent can reasonably be said to have produced their kids.
Close, but the a deeper last resort of the talentless is to live through the accomplishments of their forebears. Difference being that a parent can reasonably be said to have produced their kids.
Seems like yet another case of a parent living through the accomplishments of their child. It’s the last resort of the talentless.
Heaven forbid.. someone in the Western Hemisphere doesn’t think that American foreign policy may not all based on on virtue, and that, yes maybe, they may also have some nefarious purposes.
And, whatever the rights and wrongs, Serbians were on the wrong end of American/British/EU bombing not so long ago.
So yes Putin started an ‘unprovoked ‘ war in Ukraine this year, but who was it that started an even more unprovoked war in Iraq 20 years ago?
Time to start acknowledging that huge tracts of the new multipolar world don’t see geopolitics through the Western prism, and, perhaps, sometimes for good reasons?
Err, legions of people in the West – politicians, analysts, gen pop, journalists – have heavily criticised and condemned American and Western policy, military actions etc throughout the modern age. They did so abundantly, and freely – so much so that it is clear that there is no simple singular ‘Western prism’. Imperfect as it is, this is one of the great foundational aspects of the West/modern states.
Err, legions of people in the West – politicians, analysts, gen pop, journalists – have heavily criticised and condemned American and Western policy, military actions etc throughout the modern age. They did so abundantly, and freely – so much so that it is clear that there is no simple singular ‘Western prism’. Imperfect as it is, this is one of the great foundational aspects of the West/modern states.
Heaven forbid.. someone in the Western Hemisphere doesn’t think that American foreign policy may not all based on on virtue, and that, yes maybe, they may also have some nefarious purposes.
And, whatever the rights and wrongs, Serbians were on the wrong end of American/British/EU bombing not so long ago.
So yes Putin started an ‘unprovoked ‘ war in Ukraine this year, but who was it that started an even more unprovoked war in Iraq 20 years ago?
Time to start acknowledging that huge tracts of the new multipolar world don’t see geopolitics through the Western prism, and, perhaps, sometimes for good reasons?
Interesting observation that “Serbia without Kosovo is like “a body without a soul”.” My understanding is that Kosovo had been a part of Serbia and is the area of many of its most important historical and religious events and sites. The region of Kosovo has ‘always’ had ethnic Albanians in it but a more recent influx of Albanians led to the Serbs becoming a minority in their own country. Inevitably this led to tension and ultimately independence. If that is true then I can understand why the Serbs are bitter.
How will Brits feel when London decides to secede from the UK?
More pertinently, realistically – ‘how would the English feel if Scotland cedes?’. The answer would be complex, many relieved, happy, many sad, but, I think, they would not go to war or resort to violence. The lessons of Northern Ireland – the destructive power of nationalist purity, backed up with violence – have been painfully learned.
Hitler felt the same about Poland, Czechoslovakia and a chunk of France. Funny how you can justify a war, then ethnic cleansing. Do you support the Celts and Angles expelling people from the U.K. too?
More pertinently, realistically – ‘how would the English feel if Scotland cedes?’. The answer would be complex, many relieved, happy, many sad, but, I think, they would not go to war or resort to violence. The lessons of Northern Ireland – the destructive power of nationalist purity, backed up with violence – have been painfully learned.
Hitler felt the same about Poland, Czechoslovakia and a chunk of France. Funny how you can justify a war, then ethnic cleansing. Do you support the Celts and Angles expelling people from the U.K. too?
Interesting observation that “Serbia without Kosovo is like “a body without a soul”.” My understanding is that Kosovo had been a part of Serbia and is the area of many of its most important historical and religious events and sites. The region of Kosovo has ‘always’ had ethnic Albanians in it but a more recent influx of Albanians led to the Serbs becoming a minority in their own country. Inevitably this led to tension and ultimately independence. If that is true then I can understand why the Serbs are bitter.
How will Brits feel when London decides to secede from the UK?
A silly hit piece aimed at Djokovic…. most of the worlds population is neutral or ambivalent about an inter-slav war. I’m sure all Slav’s come down on one side or the other.
He is a bit of a ‘plate of sick’.
He is a bit of a ‘plate of sick’.
A silly hit piece aimed at Djokovic…. most of the worlds population is neutral or ambivalent about an inter-slav war. I’m sure all Slav’s come down on one side or the other.
My country is truly interesting at times (I live Down Under, happy belated Australia day everyone). A few months ago, a soccer match in Sydney became notorious for Croatian, nationalist supporters who did the Ustase salute. Sport has always conjured patriotic sentiment here.
It is the Drop Bears that make it so worrying there
It is the Drop Bears that make it so worrying there
My country is truly interesting at times (I live Down Under, happy belated Australia day everyone). A few months ago, a soccer match in Sydney became notorious for Croatian, nationalist supporters who did the Ustase salute. Sport has always conjured patriotic sentiment here.
“Anti Western streak”. How dare he an express such opinions. It’s almost as disgraceful as his son refusing to have the Covid jab.
Anyone would think they were living in the free world.
“Anti Western streak”. How dare he an express such opinions. It’s almost as disgraceful as his son refusing to have the Covid jab.
Anyone would think they were living in the free world.
And the point of this piece is??
I was wondering about that! UNHERD celebrity gossip? If they continue to develop this new strand, I may drop off!
I was wondering about that! UNHERD celebrity gossip? If they continue to develop this new strand, I may drop off!
And the point of this piece is??