Tennis star Novak Djokovic’s father was spotted with pro-Russian activists after his son’s win over Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open.
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L’Équipe, a sports portal, reports that several videos of Srdan Djokovic have been shared on social media.
We see it with supporters waving flags with Vladimir Putin’s face on them while chanting pro-Russian slogans. These images were even picked up by a pro-Russian YouTube channel. Local newspaper Melbourne Age claims he proclaimed “Long live Russia” in Serbian.
The event prompted a reaction from the Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
“They really gave their all. Among the Serbian flags there is a Russian flag, Putin, the Z symbol and the so-called flag of the Donetsk People’s Republic. It’s a shame,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
The Australian Tennis Association claimed to have chased four people who displayed “inappropriate flags and symbols”. The perpetrators also reportedly threatened security forces.
The tournament bans spectators from displaying Russian or Belarusian flags to show their support for Ukraine.