"Anyone rooting for Novak should be ashamed"; "Novak is not his father" - Tennis fans split over pro-Russia sentiments from Djokovic's father

Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan was spotted posing for pictures alongside Russian supporters and has been allegedly accused of expressing pro-Russian sentiments during the 2023 Australian Open.

Djokovic faced off against Russia's Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals at the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. After the Serb won the match in straight sets, several fans with pro-Vladimir Putin flags were spotted chanting in support of their country and President. Srdjan accompanied the group and posed for a picture, thus landing himself in trouble.

Amidst Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Tennis Australia even banned Russian flags and any pro-war symbols from entering the stadium. In light of the incident, several fans expressed their annoyance at Srdjan and his family on social media.

One fan conveyed that anyone supporting Djokovic after the incident should be "ashamed" of themselves.

"Anyone rooting for novak should be ashamed," their tweet read.

Another fan termed Djokovic and his family "absolutely despicable." They went on to express their disgust at the Serb's chances of winning the Grand Slam in Melbourne after the controversies that have unfolded.

"Djok, his family and his fans are absolutely despicable!! Can't believe he is gonna win the slam!! Ughhg! Absolutely disgusting!!!," wrote the user.

However, certain sections of the fans pointed out that it is unfair to drag the World No. 5 into the issue, stating that he is not responsible for what his father does.

Although one Twitter user admitted that it was "disgusting" to hear such news, they urged fellow tennis fans to keep the 21-time Grand Slam champion out of the issue.

"This is disgusting if true. But remember, let’s be fair, Novak is not his father. Keep the two separate," wrote the user in his tweet.

Another fan lashed out at Srdjan for the "distractions" he is causing around his son's career. They also suggested that people should not "conflate the two" in the incident.

"Novak is obviously not Srdjan and we shouldn’t conflate the two. But man, Srdjan has created drama and distractions around his son over his entire career," read their tweet.

Here are a few other fan reactions:

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Novak Djokovic's father appears to say "Long live the Russians" to the pro-Russian supporters

Srdjan Djokovic at the 2011 Wimbledon

Djokovic's father Srdjan apparently stated "Long live the Russians" to the Russian supporters after posing for pictures with them at the Australian Open. In a video posted on YouTube on Thursday, officials at the stadium can be seen forcing the riot group out of the premises. Minutes before they left, Srdjan reportedly said:

"Zivejli Russiyani," which has been translated by the channel as "Long live the Russians."

Tennis Australia has confirmed that Russian supporters have been detained by the police for their actions.

“Four people in the crowd leaving the stadium revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards,” read a statement from the Australian Open.

Whether Srdjan will get into trouble for his controversial gestures, however, remains to be seen.