The controversy is growing at the Australian Open tennis tournament. The Ukrainian ambassador in Canberra very officially requested, this Friday, January 27, that the organizers withdraw his accreditation from Novak Djokovic's father, Srdjan Djokovic. At issue: a video published the day before on social networks where we see him in the company of supporters brandishing pro-Russian flags (photo above). Ukrainian diplomat Vasyl Myroshnychenko believes that the Serbian player must also apologize for his father's attitude. “ It is important that Novak addresses this situation, he explained, quoted by theAFP. He should apologize for what happened and condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine“. The video behind the affair, posted on a pro-Russian Australian YouTube account, shows Srdjan Djokovic posing outside the stadium with a man holding a Russian flag with the face of President Vladimir Putin. It is accompanied by this caption: “ Novak Djokovic's father makes bold political statement“. The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia had already taken an official position since the start of the tournament, asking the organizers to ban Russian and Belarusian flags in the stands. A requirement little appreciated in the opposing camp, the Russian embassy in Canberra reacted immediately by describing the approach as “ new example of unacceptable politicization of sport“. The Australian tennis federation (Tennis Australia), organizer of the tournament, recalled this in a press release, after the publication of the video: “ Players and their teams were informed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and that they should avoid any situation that could disrupt the tournament. We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement“. But she did not directly cite the Djokovic affair.
