Djokovic deported to Australia: Serbia unites behind the No. 1 in world tennis
In Belgrade, this Thursday, January 6, 2022, hundreds of people gathered in front of the National Assembly at the appeal of Novak Djokovic's father, Srdjan, to support the world No. 1, star in his country.
© REUTERS - ZORANA JEVTICant
Text by: Simon Rico Follow
4 min
Blocked by Australia, which refuses him entry into its territory to play the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, world tennis No.1 Novak Djokovic has the unwavering support of the Serbian authorities in this endless arm of iron.
Despite its controversial positions on anti-Covid-19 vaccines.
Advertising
Read more
From our regional correspondent,
For almost 48 hours, the case has been going around the world.
Novak Djokovic was placed in a detention center after being blocked at Melbourne airport by customs, because he arrived "
without the necessary documents
" upon
entering Australia.
The authorities in Canberra even decided to cancel the visa which had been granted to him, to show that no privilege could be granted in full Omicron wave, not even to a world celebrity.
Since then, the world No. 1 has received permission to join a hotel, while his appeal is examined to be able to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, which will be held from January 17 to 30.
The Serb will be fixed on his fate on Monday.
The Serbian President accuses Australia of "
bad treatment
"
In Serbia, the authorities are stepping up their gestures of support for the biggest national star.
As of Wednesday, President Aleksandar Vucic stepped up to the plate on Instagram to strongly criticize Australia, accused of "
mistreatment
" of Novak Djokovic.
The strong man from Belgrade also assured that "
all of Serbia [was] with him
" and that "
the authorities [were taking] all necessary measures to ensure that the mistreatment of the best tennis player in the world ceases as soon as possible
".
This Thursday, Aleksandar Vucic drove the point home, attacking very little diplomatically the head of the Australian government, who would lead a real "
political hunt
" against the "
joker
". This "
is not fair play
", he continued to the press, before ensuring that other players with the same health profile as that of Novak Djokovic had been able to enter Australian soil, without however name names.
"
I'm afraid that kind of political harassment on Novak will continue, because when you can't defeat someone then you turn to this sort of thing
," insisted Aleksandar Vucic. An explicit reference to the 21st Grand Slam title coveted by the world No. 1, which would allow him to overtake his great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. With nine wins in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic is already the Australian Open record holder.
"
Our state demands that the world number one be released immediately, which was also requested by the Serbian ambassador, who contacted the player and took all possible measures
", hammered on his side Nikola Selakovic, the Serbian minister Foreign Affairs, interviewed in
Informer
, a tabloid close to power.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, for her part, will meet with one of the heads of the Australian Ministry of Immigration and Borders.
► See also: Tennis: visa canceled for Djokovic, Serbia accuses Australia of "bad treatment"
The other face of "Nole"
If he always shows himself in his best light in the international media, giving the image of a player as smooth as he is sympathetic, Novak Djokovic is much less civilized in the Balkans.
Since the start of the pandemic, he has thus multiplied the questionable positions, not hesitating to appear with very controversial characters.
In the summer of 2020, he notably visited a conspiratorial Bosnian preacher, Semir Osmanagic, to extol the therapeutic merits of the "pyramids of Visoko" discovered in the 2000s by the latter.
Since then, Semir Osmanagic has been displayed alongside the anti-ax of Croatia, led by figures of the local extreme right, who have multiplied the demonstrations of force in recent months.
► To read also: Tennis: Novak Djokovic, a regular in controversies
In addition to the support of the authorities, the Serbian player can also boast of having behind him all the media close to the authoritarian and nationalist regime of Aleksandar Vucic, where fiery statements in his favor are multiplying. Everyone plays their favorite part again: that of the victimization of the Serbian people.
Meanwhile, vaccination rates are skidding in Serbia, as well as in all neighboring countries. This is no longer because of the lack of available doses like a few months ago, but of skepticism about vaccines. According to a regional study conducted last fall by the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), more than half of respondents indicated that they had "
no intention
" to receive their doses. In the Balkans, conspiracy theories around Covid-19 even meet with a "
striking
" echo, notes BiEPAG.
In the meantime, in this disinformation campaign, Novak Djokovic bears a heavy responsibility, he who is often taken as an example by those who refuse to be vaccinated.
The health services have all the difficulties to face the cases of Covid-19 which explode, rolled by decades of budget cuts and exodus of their staff, in search of better salaries.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Serbia
Tennis
Australia
Sports
our selection
Aleksandar Vucic