Djokovic addresses visa furore with Serbian president
Two weeks after he was forced to leave the country, Novak Djokovic has shared his story with the public for the first time.
The tennis champion met with Serbia’s President Aleksander Vučić at a press conference on Thursday night, describing the “unfortunate events in Australia” which “was at least unexpected, as it happened”, he said, smiling.
Since his deportation, Djokovic has been spending his time in Belgrade and Montenegro.
“This is the first time I go public,” he said.
Feb 3, 2022 Presidental Palace, Belgrade 🇷🇸
Novak Djokovic: "President, I would like to thank you and the state of Serbia both for support during the unfortunate events in Australia and for standing by my side." @pavyg @TennisPuneet @NovakFanClub @CraigKellyMP @DMDent
1/2 pic.twitter.com/tk0ocNeFzF— Zvezda je život (@FkczBelgrade) February 3, 2022
He thanked the President for his support, as well as the Serbian people after “these circumstances that found me in Australia”.
Djokovic said their support has shown “that this connection will be like that forever”.
Though he has promised to share his story “in more detail”, he did share part of it was President Vučić.
“I wanted to see you first of all because as a citizen of Serbia I felt a great need to thank you for the great support you gave me as President of Serbia,” he said.
“Although I was alone in detention in Australia and faced many problems and challenges, I did not feel lonely.
“You stood up and stood behind me and put yourself in a compromised political position, within the framework of international relations, and that is why I am extremely grateful. I will remember that.”
Djokovic appeared alongside the President of Serbia to share his side of the story. Image: Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images
President Vučić praised Djokovid for “glorifying our country”, though he admitted he initially urged the tennis star to leave the country when he first received the news of his detention.
“And then I saw how persistent he is, how much he wanted to play, to fight on the sports field, to show on the sports field how much he is ready to fight not only for himself, but his country and show that he is better than others,” Vučić explained.
Djokovic’s arrival in Australia sparked intense backlash after it emerged that he was eligible for a medical exemption to enter the country while unvaccinated and was then detained upon arrival in Melbourne.
After spending time in hotel detention - prompting protests for his freedom - Djokovic was finally deported after the Federal Court upheld Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to cancel his visa.
“For media representatives, I would like to add that since I did not advertise in public about the Australian events, this is the first time I go public,” he said on Thursday night.
He urged people to “please be patient”, and that he would address the situation “in more detail with my version of the story to everything that happened in Australia” within the next seven to ten days.
President Vučić had nothing but praise for Djokovic, telling the media that “someone special and bigger than all of us is here today”.
“Thank you for representing our country with honour, courage and in the best way, and for doing so in the future. Thank you for the great fight you fought in Australia,” Vučić said.
A statement from the President’s office said “that the ladies were specially groomed, and all this shows that someone special and much bigger came”.
“It had never happened that we have so many people in the building, that all the secretaries, all bookkeepers, all cooks, janitors, came because they wanted to see Novak,” the statement read.
“He will beat them all, at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. I predict that.”
Image: Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images