Novak Djokovic admitted that the spotlight around his father, Srdjan Djokovic, at the Australian Open had an impact on him before his semi-final triumph over Tommy Paul.
Srdjan Djokovic was captured on camera after his quarterfinal match posing for a photo with a fan wearing a “Z” symbol T-shirt and holding a Russian flag with a photo of Vladimir Putin’s face. It has affected me, said Djokovic. “I did not know of it until last night. Consequently, I was not delighted to observe this.
“During the 1990s, my father, my entire family, and I lived through multiple wars. As my father stated in a statement, we oppose war and will never support violence or conflict. We are aware of how damaging this is for the family and the citizens of any country during a conflict.”
Djokovic overcame Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to get to his tenth Australian Open championship match. Djokovic also stated that his father’s views were misunderstood, as he believed he was posing for a photo with someone holding a Serbian flag.
“He was passing through when he took the photograph,” stated Djokovic. I heard his words in the video. He said, ‘Cheers’. Unfortunately, some media outlets have taken this in a completely incorrect manner.
Novak Djokovic says father scrutiny overshadowed semi-final win.
“I regret that the situation has become so heated. But I think that everyone understands that there was never any purpose to endorse war efforts or anything similar.”
Djokovic stated that the pro-Putin followers “misused” his father. Djokovic Sr did not witness his son’s match against Paul, but Djokovic has requested that his father attend Sunday’s final against Stefanos Tsitsipas. “He was passing through, took a picture, and the situation escalated. In this situation, he was mistreated by this group. That’s what occurred,” Djokovic stated.
Djokovic plays Tsitsipas after the Greek world No. 4 and third seed defeated Karen Khachanov 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 earlier on Friday to get to his maiden Australian Open final and second grand slam final overall.
With each victory, Djokovic unlocks more remarkable accomplishments. He has already reached 33 grand slam finals, setting a new record for the open era. The 35-year-old Serbian is also the fourth-oldest man in the history of the Australian Open to reach the final. With 27 consecutive victories in Melbourne dating back to 2019, he now holds the record for the longest winning streak in the tournament’s history.
Paul was naturally considerably more anxious in his maiden grand slam semifinal and first match with Djokovic despite Djokovic’s rough first set. In his first service game, he committed four unforced errors and rapidly fell behind by two breaks. At a 5-1 deuce, however, Djokovic disagreed with the chair umpire, Damien Dumusois, about the 25-second shot clock and appeared to lose concentration, subsequently surrendering four consecutive games.
Djokovic bolstered his performance and won the set
At the most crucial moment, Djokovic bolstered his performance and won the set by breaking his serve with a brilliant defensive display. After securing the first set, Djokovic gradually returned to the stratospheric level he showed during the second week. Paul displayed his excellent athleticism by winning a series of high-octane, extended rallies, but in the end, he had only three games to show for his efforts in the second and third sets.
Djokovic was “very thrilled and satisfied” to be in yet another grand slam final. “This is just what I envisioned and hoped would occur when I traveled to Australia to contend for another Australian Open crown.”
On Sunday, Djokovic will play his toughest opponent in Melbourne, a resurgent Tsitsipas, in a rematch of the French Open final that Djokovic won in 2021. In 2023, no player has lost a match.
Tsitsipas stated, “I’m playing excellent tennis.” “I’m enjoying myself. I see no downsides or negatives in what I’m attempting to accomplish out there. Even if it fails, I am enthusiastic and optimistic about any outcome and every opponent I must confront.”
