Novak Djokovic's relationship with father Srdjan: Duo's highest highs and lowest lows ft. Australian Open pro-Russia controversy

Novak Djokovic's father, Srdjan Djokovic, has often enjoyed the limelight throughout his son's career. The father-son duo are close and Srdjan is often spotted travelling with Novak to tournaments all over the world. However, this relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing.

In an interview with Newsweek in 2016, Srdjan revealed that he could see the talent in Novak from his early days and worked all his life towards making him the player he is now. Despite financial difficulties, Srdjan took Novak to academies in Italy, Germany and the United States to give him the best facilities to train.

Over the years, Novak and Srdjan have seen their fair share of controversies, largely due to their outspoken nature. Both the Djokovics wear their heart on their sleeves, resulting in some straightforward comments that spark debate in the tennis world.

The biggest controversy came at the Australian Open 2023 when Srdjan had to watch his son lift the title from his hotel room, instead of the player's box.

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Srdjan Djokovic lands in 'Pro-Russian' controversy at the Australian Open 2023

Novak Djokovic with the Australian Open 2023 trophy

Srdjan Djokovic was in the limelight for all the wrong reasons during the Australian Open 2023. The Serbian was in Australia to cheer for his son, who was aiming to win a historic 10th Australian Open title. However, he decided to stay away from the stadium after a controversy erupted following Novak's quarterfinal win.

Novak defeated Andrey Rublev in the last eight and shortly after the win, Srdjan was captured on camera standing with Russian flags, some of which featured Vladimir Putin. This was during the Ukraine-Russia war and Russian flags were prohibited during the tournament.

A video was later posted on YouTube captioned 'Novak Djokovic’s father makes a bold political statement.' In it, the people alongside Srdjan Djokovic could be seen chanting alleged pro-Russian and anti-Ukraine songs.

Srdjan posted a statement shortly after this incident claiming that he was only there for pictures and had nothing to do with the Russian slogans. However, he faced severe backlash for his actions and opted to stay away from the stadium.

This was the second time in the space of two years that Srdjan Djokovic found himself at the centre of the news. The first came after his explosive interview about Roger Federer.

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Srdjan Djokovic takes shots at Roger Federer... Not once but twice

In an explosive interview with Serbian channel K1, in 2021, Srdjan Djokovic claimed that Novak Djokovic was 'attacked' by Roger Federer during Novak's teen years.

Serbia and Switzerland faced off in the Davis Cup 2006, which meant that Djokovic faced Stan Wawrinka with Federer watching on. During the match, Djokovic asked for the trainer multiple times as he was suffering from sinus issues and couldn't breathe.

However, Federer was not too pleased by this and referred to Djokovic as 'a joke' in the post-match conference.

Srdjan did not take this comment lightly and launched an attack on Federer. The Serbian called the Swiss 'a great champion but not a good person' during his interview in 2021.

"He showed himself to be the best player in the world but not as a good person at that time," Srdjan Djokovic said.

However, this was not the only time that Djokovic Sr. had taken shots at Roger Federer.

During an interview with Sports Klub in 2020, Srdjan Djokovic claimed that Roger Federer should retire from tennis. The Serbian said that Federer could not handle Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic breathing down his neck and was forcing his body to try and keep playing.

“Why do you think he is still playing at 40? Imagine that, a 40-year-old man still playing tennis, when he could go home and do some more interesting things. But since both Nadal and Novak are breathing down his neck, he simply cannot accept the fact that they will be better than him," Srdjan Djokovic said.

Such controversial comments have often got Srdjan Djokovic in trouble, but Novak has always stood by his side.

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Novak Djokovic opened up about his relationship with his father in a 2023 interview

In an interview with Reuters last year, Novak Djokovic spoke about his relationship with his father who has been supporting his tennis dream since childhood. The Serbian claimed that despite coming from a poor background, his parents always believed in him and invested their hard-earned money in his future.

Novak further added that Srdjan is a driving force for his family and has had a big impact on his life. The 24-time Grand Slam champion believes that his success is down to the trust and belief shown in him by his parents.

"My father is an incredibly driving force of the family, someone who has instilled in me such power of belief and positive thinking. So of course he and my mum had to go through a lot of difficulties, financially, emotionally, whichever way, for me to sit here. So I don't forget about that. I actually carry it in my heart," Novak Djokovic said.

This bond between Novak and Srdjan was noticeable during the Australian Open 2023 controversy. With the pressure building on Srdjan, Novak rushed to his rescue and defended him in the press conference. The Serb claimed that his father was 'misused' and offered his support to his father during the whole situation.

This was a clear indication of the love and respect that Novak Djokovic has for his father, who has been a crucial part of Novak's journey towards greatness.