Novak Djokovic’s father was photographed at the Australian Open posing for a photo with Putin supporters

Novak Djokovic’s father was photographed at the Australian Open posing for a photo with Putin supporters

Novak Djokovic’s father Srdjan was filmed posing for photos with supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Australian Open, the BBC reports.

Srdjan Djokovic, as indicated, was photographed next to a man who was holding a Russian flag with an image of Putin and wearing a T-shirt with a pro-war Z symbol.

Russian and Belarusian flags and symbols were banned at Melbourne Park after the Russian flag was flown during the match between Ukraine’s Ekaterina Beindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova on the opening day.

At the same time, as indicated, there was a show of support for Putin after Djokovic’s quarter-final win over Russia’s Andrey Rublev on Wednesday evening.

The Russian flag with the image of Putin was displayed near the Rod Laver Arena by a group of fans in Serbian colors. Chanting in support of Russia, some had the flag of Serbia on their shoulders.

A statement from Tennis Australia said: “A small group of people displayed unacceptable flags and symbols and threatened security after the match on Wednesday evening and were escorted out.”

“Players and their teams have been informed and reminded of the competition’s flag and symbol policy and to avoid any situation that may disrupt performance. We continue to cooperate closely with security and law enforcement agencies,” the statement said.

In 2022, Russian and Belarusian players were suspended from competing at Wimbledon due to the invasion of Ukraine.

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