Novak Djokovic’s father Srdjan will not attend his son’s semi-final game at the Australian Open on Friday.
“I’m only here to support my son. I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption,” wrote Srdjan Djokovic in a statement. He will stay away from the match against the American Tommy Paul.
His family “experienced the horrors of war and we only want peace,” Srdjan Djokovic said. The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia had previously asked the organizers in Melbourne to exclude him from the tournament.
Djokovic Sr. stated that after the semi-final win over Russia’s Andrei Rublev he was “out there with the Novak fans” as he did after all his son’s games to celebrate and take photos with fans. “I had no intention of getting involved in this matter,” the statement said.
Russian and Belarusian flags and other symbols are banned from the Australian Open grounds after an incident in the first week of the tournament. “The players and their teams have been made aware of the rules regarding flags and symbols and have been reminded to avoid any situation that could lead to disruption,” the tournament organizers wrote in a statement in response to the recent events.
