Australian Open: “I hope he will be there for the final”, Djokovic defends his father

In the middle of the Rod Laver Arena, after his express victory in the semi-final against Tommy Paul, Novak Djokovic told the master of ceremonies Jim Courier what it was like to find his way to the final fifteen years to the day after his first Grand Slam title, in Melbourne, against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“I feel blessed and grateful, smiled the Serb, who will face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday with the triple challenge of a 10th Australian crown, a 22nd Major and a world No. 1 spot.

I especially thank my family, without whom nothing would have been possible.

Tennis is an individual sport where you take all the responsibility and credit on the court, but it's also a team in good and bad times and it's their success as much as mine.

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However, it sometimes happens in a team to score against its own side.

Like Srdjan, the cumbersome father of the Belgrader, who had to follow his son's qualification… on TV.

The boiling father, at the heart of a beautiful controversy after being displayed with pro Russian supporters, indeed published a press release before the match to give up coming to the stadium and ease tensions.

#Ausopen semifinal: ✔️ cartoon:️

liner according to • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/lcx6Wnm3dT

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2023

Which is pretty good because the organizers, who would have done well to have the public dressed in T-shirts sporting the sulphurous Z and singing to the glory of Putin in their enclosure, seemed inclined to withdraw his accreditation.

Even if he was hardly disturbed to win his 27th match in a row at the Australian Open, Djokovic says he is saddened by all this mess.

“It was not pleasant not to have him in the box during the semi-final, he explains.

I hope he will be there for the final.

It is unfortunate that misinterpretation has come to this point.

My father, as he explained, went after each of my matches to meet my fans to thank them and take pictures (…) But it all started with a bad translation in some media of his words.

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The Serb hastened to clarify that his father had “no intention of supporting any war whatsoever.

He also echoed verbatim the statement: “Our family has been through the horrors of war and all we want is peace.

The former and perhaps future No. 1 was marked for life by the conflict in Serbia and the NATO bombings of Belgrade in 1999 when he was twelve years old.