Former tennis player Viktor Troicki, Serbian Davis Cup captain, declared this Wednesday that the “mistreatment” that Novak Djokovic undergoes in his attempts to enter Australia to play the Grand Slam is “a great scandal” it has nothing to do with sport.
“I don’t remember something like this happening to a world champion, not just tennis, to one of the greatest athletes of all time. I don’t remember an athlete being so mistreated by a government, “Troicki told Serbian public television RTS.
Troicki assured that “it is absurd” that just Djokovic has left for Australia comments from the Australian authorities about your visa appear, “as if they are trying to cause you a problem and not let you in.”
“They are political games, it has nothing to do with sports, it is mistreatment and a very big scandal,” said Troicki, by ensuring that multiple other players with the same medical exemption and visa have entered Australia.
Troicki recalled that Djokovic has won nine Australian Open titles and that he had a great desire to play the tournament. -which is held from January 17 to 30- and to defend the title, with which, if he succeeded, he would also beat the current record of 20 Grand Slam conquests.
“Everything is very strange, it is an unpleasant surprise”, said the former player who asked the Australian Open organizer to protect participating athletes.
According to Troicki, Djokovic always comes out even stronger from difficult situations and that if he overcomes this problem it would be “an additional reason to win the tournament.”
Too Serbian Sports Minister Vanja Udovicic declared on Twitter that the refusal of Djokovic’s visa “It is absurd and a shame.”
“I am appalled at what is happening to Djokovic and I cannot imagine that anyone would take the right to harass in such a way to the best athlete in the world, “said Udovicic.
The Australian authorities revoked last night the visa of the world number one who arrived in the city of Melbourne with a medical exemption that allowed him to participate in the Australian Open without being vaccinated.
The tennis player’s lawyers appealed the revocation and an Australian court will consider the appeal on Monday.
The Serb will await the decision on the appeal at Melbourne’s Park Hotel, which also houses a group of asylum seekers. who have been detained by the immigration authorities, after I was interviewed for more than eight hours by the border authorities for not complying with the requirements imposed by the covid-19.