Novak Djokovic's father, Srdjan Djokovic, did not attend his son's Australian Open semi-final victory over Tommy Paul on Friday, following a controversy over his interaction with pro-Vladimir Putin spectators. In a statement, Srdjan said he had 'no intention of being caught up' in any disruption and would watch from home.
The incident occurred after Djokovic's quarter-final win against Russia's Andrey Rublev, when Srdjan was filmed posing for photos with a fan wearing a 'Z' symbol T-shirt and holding a Russian flag bearing Putin's face. Srdjan insisted he was only celebrating his son's win and had no political intent, adding that his family 'lived through the horror of war' and wished for peace.
Four spectators were questioned by police after allegedly threatening security during the quarter-final, and were later ejected. Tennis Australia faced criticism for security lapses that allowed pro-Putin chants inside the stadium. The organisation defended its actions, stating it worked swiftly with police to remove the instigators and reiterated its ban on flags from Belarus and Russia.
Srdjan, who had attended all of Novak's previous matches alongside his wife Dijana, chose to stay away to avoid further disruption. Novak Djokovic went on to win the semi-final in straight sets, advancing to his 10th Australian Open final.
