Djokovic’s father to watch son's Australian Open semis match from home after Russian flag controversy

Amid the flag controversy at the ongoing 2023 Australian Open that had everyone talking, Srdjan Djokovic, Novak Djokovic’s father decided to watch his son’s semis clash on Friday from his home. Earlier, a video surfaced on the internet showing Novak’s father, Srdjan posing with a fan holding a Russian flag with Putin’s face on it, leading the Australian Open organisers to intervene in the matter. This photo stirred quite a backlash from a certain section of fans and current and former tennis players who asked immediate action to be taken against Novak and his father.

Chasing his record tenth Australian Open title, the veteran Novak will be facing unseeded American Tommy Paul in the second semi-final. Meanwhile his father, in an email statement informed everyone about his decision to not be there inside the stadium and instead be watching Novak’s crucial knockout match from home.

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"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," Srdjan said in an emailed statement.

It was during Novak’s quarters match on Wednesday that four fans who displayed ‘inappropriate flags and symbols’ as termed by the organisers, were questioned by the Victoria police. Several other videos and images also showed fans carrying Russian flags just outside the Rod Laver arena. Novak’s father’s video of him standing right beside a fan holding a Russian flag with Putin’s photo on it also made headlines during that time only.

In revert to that, Tennis Australia released a statement the next day, saying, "Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that has the potential to disrupt."

"We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies," the statement added.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian and Belarusian players were barred from competing at Wimbledon last year. They, however, were allowed to compete at Melbourne Park but not under their country’s flags; neither were they allowed to wear any accessories that reflect their country’s flag in any way.

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