Serbia in shock over Australia's refusal to let Djokovic in

BELGRADE – Serbia is nervously awaiting the result of what progressively looks similar a soap opera with the country's astir celebrated sports idol successful the pb role.

The world's top-ranked men's tennis player, Novak Djokovic, faces the imaginable of deportation from Australia. Djokovic had hoped to triumph his 21st Grand Slam rubric astatine this month's Australian Open, which would acceptable the men’s grounds for large title victories.

The 34-year-old Serb's quality to vie successful Melbourne and overtake rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer has been successful limbo since the Australian Border Force canceled Djokovic’s visa due to the fact that helium failed to conscionable requirements for a COVID-19 vaccination exemption. A tribunal proceeding connected his lawsuit has been acceptable for Monday.

Djokovic’s fans are successful shock, and Serbian politicians seized connected the accidental to get a popularity boost up of this year’s elections arsenic protesters gathered successful downtown Belgrade calling for his release.

Ad

Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s authorities summoned the Australian ambassador successful protestation of Djokovic's “detention.”

Vucic said helium had spoken to Djokovic and blasted Australian authorities for keeping the tennis prima successful an “infamous hotel,” referring to the unafraid installation wherever Djokovic is being housed on with asylum seekers and refugees.

“I’m acrophobic that this overkill volition continue,” Vucic said. “When you can’t decision idiosyncratic connected the court, past you bash specified things.”

Most of Djokovic’s fans astatine location agree, reflecting the anti-Serb conspiracy theories that are pervasive successful the Balkans.

“It is historically evident that the satellite has thing against the Serbs,” said Darko Ikonic, a Belgrade resident.

“I’m not saying that Serbs are heavenly radical oregon thing similar, that is simply a nonsense," helium added. "But it is evident that they bash not privation him to beryllium the champion tennis subordinate successful past due to the fact that they similar different tennis players, specified arsenic Nadal oregon Federer, better.”

Ad

Djokovic’s communicative is 1 of perseverance, defiance and controversy. Known to beryllium a problem-solver connected the court, helium has ne'er failed to disagreement disconnected it.

The likelihood that a subordinate from Serbia, a Balkan state bombarded by NATO successful 1999 portion Djokovic was a boy, economically crippled, with fewer tennis courts and small tennis pedigree, would go the world’s No. 1 were adjacent to zero.

However, Djokovic did it, creating a immense pursuing successful Serbia arsenic good arsenic neighboring Balkan states contempt being heavy criticized overseas for his predominant connected tribunal theatrics and outbursts, arsenic good arsenic his attack to the COVID-19 pandemic and refusing to disclose whether helium has been vaccinated oregon not.

His basal against vaccination has besides created a ample pursuing astatine location and abroad.

In the midst of the pandemic successful 2020, and with nonrecreational tennis unopen down, Djokovic organized the Adria Tour, a bid of accumulation events without societal distancing successful his autochthonal Serbia and neighboring Croatia.

Ad

The tourney was abandoned aft respective participants tested affirmative for coronavirus. Djokovic and his woman Jelena went connected to uncover affirmative tests.

Djokovic's father, Srdjan Djokovic, said Thursday that his lad is the awesome of a “free world” and an onslaught connected him amounted to an onslaught connected Serbia.

He accused Australia and the West successful wide of “mistreating” Djokovic due to the fact that helium is simply a Serb and evoked the 1999 bombing by NATO of Serbia implicit its breakaway state of Kosovo.

“Novak is Serbia and Serbia is Novak,” helium said. “They are trampling connected Novak and frankincense they are trampling connected Serbia and the Serbian people.”

“Shame connected them, the full freedom-loving satellite should emergence unneurotic with Serbia,” Srdjan Djokovic said. “They crucified Jesus and present they are trying to crucify Novak the aforesaid mode and unit him connected his knees.”

____

Associated Press Writer Jovana Gec contributed.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.