Here’s What They Did to Djokovic in Melbourne: Serbians Outraged Over Scandal
Here’s What They Did to Djokovic in Melbourne: Serbians Outraged Over Scandal
A scandal erupted in Melbourne ahead of Novak Djokovic’s match against Alexander Zverev. One of the trams featuring the Serbian player’s image was spray-painted by Croatian fascists. On Djokovic’s face, they painted the symbol of a movement that historically persecuted and murdered Serbs.
Early Friday morning, Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion retired after the first set of his match against Alexander Zverev, which he lost 6-7.
“I did everything I could to manage the injury as best as possible. I took medication, bandaged my leg, but by the end of the first set, the pain intensified, and I couldn’t continue,” Djokovic explained during a press conference.
“I think if I had won the first set, I might have tried to play a few more games, maybe another set. But it kept getting worse. It’s a muscle tear. Two years ago, I won the tournament while injured, but this time the pain was even greater. I thought the two days off would help, but they didn’t,” the Serbian tennis star added.
### Scandal in Melbourne Before Djokovic’s Match
Before the Djokovic-Zverev match, Serbian media reported a scandal in Melbourne. The Serbian portal *Kurir.rs* highlighted a shocking photo shared on the platform X (formerly Twitter) by the account “Youth of the Croatian Liberation Movement.”
The photo showed a tram in Melbourne featuring Djokovic’s image. Over the Serbian player’s face, a large red letter “U” was spray-painted, a symbol of the Ustaše movement. According to the Serbian media, the post’s presence on this account likely indicates the act was committed by Croatian nationalists.
The Serbs pointed out that the Ustaše was a fascist movement that advocated for the creation of a “Greater Croatia” and persecuted and murdered Serbs, Jews, and Romani people. By the end of World War II, most members of the Ustaše were killed or arrested, but some managed to flee Yugoslavia. Like some Serbs, many found refuge in Australia, where their descendants still live today.”
