Australian Open chiefs told to ban Novak Djokovic’s dad by Ukrainians

Novak Djokovic jokes about his age at the Australian Open

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Novak Djokovic’s father should be banned from the Australian Open after he was filmed posing with pro-Putin Russians at the Australian Open, according to the Ukrainian ambassador here.

And former Ukrainian pro Alex Dolgopolov said anyone – including Srjdan Djokovic – should stay away “if they openly praise a genocidal regime”.

Four men were detained and evicted for flying a Russian flag showing the face of President Vladimir Putin after the Serb’s quarter-final victory on Wednesday night.

And a video posted later on YouTube showed Srdjan Djokovic with a nationalist fan holding a flag and wearing a Z-shirt in support of the invasion of Ukraine. The YouTube channel called Aussie Cossack translates Djokovic Sr saying: “Long live Russia.”

Unlike Wimbledon, players from Russia and Belarusia are allowed to compete here under a neutral flag but national symbols are forbidden following the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko told the Herald Sun: “It is up to Tennis Australia to take action.

“I think it would be a very good idea not to let him in. I don’t know why he would say something like that considering what the Russians are doing in Ukraine, how many people they have killed, tortured, raped and all the summary executions that have happened against civilians.”

Myroshnychenko added: “This whole Australian Open tournament since the beginning was a controversy, around initially the participation of the Russian players, then the flags, now we’ve seen this provocation.

“It was further aggravated by the comments Djokovic’s dad has made. “Djokovic is a superstar and he’s the No.1 celebrity in the tennis world, so it’s very disappointing to see his father supporting Russia.”

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Former world No.13 Dolgopolov, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2011 Australian Open, tweeted his reaction to the footage featuring Srdjan Djokovic.

“Absolutely disgusting,” he wrote. “Politics should be kept out of sports they said. These people have absolutely no business in being on tennis tournaments, including @DjokerNole father, if they openly praise a genocidal regime.”

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