Novak Djokovic didn't have courage to denounce his father's involvement in pro-Russian sentiment at Australian Open: Lesia Tsurenko's coach

Novak Djokovic should have taken a stance against his father's actions during a controversy at the Australian Open earlier this year, according to Ukrainian tennis star Lesia Tsurenko's coach Nikita Vlasov. The Ukrainian coach said that Djokovic lacked the courage to publicly declare that he condemned his father's involvement in a pro-Russian chant with a group of supporters at Melbourne Park.

After the Serbian star's quarterfinal win against Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open in January, his father, Srdjan, was filmed in a video where he was celebrating with a group of supporters who were carrying pro-Russian flags and wearing t-shirts with the 'Z' symbol, which has become an emblem in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Srdjan was also seen chanting a pro-Russian sentiment.

Djokovic said back then that his father's actions were misinterpreted, before clarifying that his family would never support war having been through such a situation themselves.

Reacting to the incident in a recent interview, Vlasov opined that there was no way Srdjan could be excused for his actions, and further slammed the 22-time Grand Slam champion for not doing more to convey his anti-war stance.

"It was a stupid situation. This is my personal opinion," Vlasov told Tribuna. "Djokovic's father said 'Glory to Russia' on camera and then claimed he was misunderstood. It's not even a human act."

"If you said so, take responsibility for your words. Djokovic also didn't have the courage to say frankly that he didn't support his father's behavior," he added.

Vlasov further expressed his dissatisfaction with the current ATP world No. 1, criticizing him for not directly speaking out against Russia. Vlasov expects the 10-time Australian Open champion to use his status in a better way.

"At no point in his interviews did Novak directly condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine, or call for the horror in our country to stop. Would it be a good time to use his status to put an end to all this, to call for peace? No, they support Russia," Vlasov stated.

He further stressed that Srdjan's actions were highly uncalled for, particularly in the middle of a major tournament.

"I was very surprised that this position was expressed so openly, so crudely. And on the occasion of such a competition," Vlasov added.

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Novak Djokovic withdraws from Miami Open 2023 as he fails in his bid to secure special exemption

The Serbian star last competed at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Novak Djokovic officially withdrew from the 2023 Miami Open, which begins on Monday, as he did not receive a special exemption to enter the US and participate in the tournament. The Serb, still unvaccinated, has been held back due to the prevalent vaccine mandate in the Serb. Earlier, he was also forced to withdraw from the ongoing Indian Wells tournament for the same reason.

However, the six-time Miami Open champion did have some additional help in his bid to be able to enter the US in time to play in Miami, as US Senators for the state of Florida, Rick Scott & Marco Rubio, had also made a special exemption request on behalf of the Serb to the US government.

Djokovic will lose the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings if Carlos Alcaraz wins the title at Indian Wells this week. The Spaniard will then retain the top spot if he successfully defends his Miami Open title.