Footage has emerged showing Novak Djokovic’s father participating in a pro-Russian demonstration at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The group gathered on the steps outside the Rod Laver Arena after Djokovic’s quarter-final victory over Russia’s Andrey Rublev, holding Russian flags, one of which featured Vladimir Putin’s face, and chanting “Serbia, Russia.”
And a post on a pro-Russian YouTube channel shows Srdjan Djokovic standing with a man holding a Putin flag and wearing a T-shirt with the pro-war Z symbol.
Djokovic Sr. then makes a comment to the man, which in the video is translated as “long live the Russians.”
Tennis Australia said on Wednesday that four people were questioned by police and evicted from the ground due to “inappropriate flags and symbols” and threats to security guards.
Thursday’s new statement said one member of the quartet was “now assisting the police with unrelated matters,” adding that players and their teams were reminded of the tournament’s rules.
The Russian and Belarusian flags were banned until the end of last week’s event after the flag was displayed at a match between Russian and Ukrainian players.
The statement said: “Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event’s policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that could disrupt operations. We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement.”
Representatives for Djokovic have been contacted for comment.
