Australian Open The best Djokovic sweeps Rublev
Picture This is how the semifinals look
A new controversy surrounds
Novak Djokovic
at the Australian Open.
This time, it was his father who sparked criticism by posing with fans with pro-Russian symbols,
such as a flag of that country with the face of Vladimir Putin,
according to a video published in local media.
The scene was allegedly filmed after the quarterfinal match between his son and Russia's
Andrey Rublev
, during which pro-Moscow symbology was seen in the stands despite the tournament organizers having banned it.
In the video posted on YouTube and picked up by various Australian media, Srdjan Djokovic is seen posing next to a man
with a Russian flag with Putin's face and a black T-shirt with the letter "Z"
, which has become a symbol of support for the invasion of Ukraine.
According to local newspapers
The Age
and
The Sydney Morning Herald
,
the tennis player's father says in Serbian "long live Russia"
.
The Australian Open
last week banned this symbology
in its facilities after the appearance of Russian flags during a first round match between a player from that country and another Ukrainian.
But on Wednesday, Australian police questioned four fans for displaying "inappropriate flags and symbols and for threatening security guards" after the match between Djokovic and Rublev ended, the Australian tennis federation had said.
"A shame"
Ukraine's ambassador to Australia,
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said it was "a shame
. "
"It's the whole package. Among the Serbian flags there are: a Russian flag, Putin, the Z symbol, the flag of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. It's a shame..." he wrote.
During the match between Djokovic and Rublev, a man photographed by AFP wore a black T-shirt with a white "Z" on it.
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, players from Russia and Belarus, a Moscow ally, have competed under a neutral flag in most competitions, including the Australian Open.
This Grand Slam received pressure to prohibit their participation as the Wimbledon tournament did the previous year.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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