Fuss about war symbolism and Djokovic's father in Melbourne

It shows Srdjan Djokovic, the father of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, posing in Melbourne Park with other people behind a Russian flag with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Next to him is a man wearing a T-shirt with the letter “Z” on it. The video was published on a YouTube channel and also shared and commented on on other social media. It is said to have been taken after Novak Djokovic won the quarter-final match against Russian Andrey Rublev on Wednesday evening.

“Players and their teams have been briefed on event guidelines regarding flags and symbols and reminded to avoid any situations that have the potential to cause disruption,” Tennis Australia said in a statement on Thursday.

Fans interrogated by police After the match, four spectators were questioned by the Australian police because they were said to have “displayed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security staff,” as the organizer announced. Twitter posts show that several spectators waved Russian and Serbian flags after the match and chanted “Serbia! Russia!” shouted. Shortly after the start of the tournament, Russian and Belarusian flags were banned on the grounds of Melbourne Park.

During the match, there was also a fan in the stands wearing a T-shirt with a white “Z” written on it. The “Z” symbol is considered a sign of support for Russia, including the invasion of Ukraine. The “Z” is often seen on Russian military equipment and clothing and is also banned at the Australian Open.

Unlike Wimbledon, Russian and Belarusian tennis players are allowed to compete in Melbourne under a neutral flag. Aryna Sabalenka and Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus will compete in their semifinal matches on Thursday. Wimbledon winner Jelena Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but now plays for Kazakhstan, is also in the semi-finals. In the men's category, Russia's Karen Khachanov will face Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of the best four players on Friday.

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Fuss about war symbolism and Djokovic's father in Melbourne

Australian Open organizers have advised tennis players and their teams in Melbourne of the ban on certain flags and symbols after a video caused a stir online.

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