Djokovic, the father with Putin’s supporters at the Australian Open-Corriere.it

One year Novak, one year the father. In Australia there is always a Djokovic who causes discussion. This time it’s Srdjan’s turn, filmed – with videos obviously already posted on the web – while he poses with some fans waving a Russian flag with the face of Vladimir Putin. All of which happened yesterday evening in Australia, after the son (in recent days at the center of some controversy over a spat with the referee to get a drunk fan away and also over a pizzino received from the box during the match in the second round) had just overwhelmed the Russian Andrei Rublev qualifying for the semifinal of the Australian Open. Rublev who, like all Russian players (including Karen Khachanov, semifinalist on the opposite side of the scoreboard to Djokovic) plays without a flag after last year’s measures taken by the ITF.

However, Russian flags appeared outside the Rod Laver Arenainitially also allowed inside the facilities – as long as there were no references to Putin – but subsequently banned after a flag was raised (creating a lot of embarrassment) during the women’s first round match between the Russian Kamilla Rakhimova and the Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl : in the video, however, Djokovic senior can be seen close to Russian fans (one of whom was also wearing a shirt with the letter Z, a military symbol that appears on Russian army vehicles in Ukraine), which Tennis Australia had already reported to law enforcement and expelled from Melbourne Park.

Four people in the crowd leaving the stadium showed flags and inappropriate symbols and threatened security personnel – reads the note -. Victoria Police intervened and are continuing to question them. Everyone’s comfort and safety is our property and we work closely with security and the authorities. Also in the video, Srdjan Djokovic can be seen saying a sentence in Serbian before greeting the Russian fans and taking another direction: it would seem to say, as reported by the Australian media, long live the Russians. At least inappropriate.