Djokovic slammed over 'pathetic' political statement during Australian Open final: 'No matter how great an athlete...'

Novak Djokovic continues to maintain a love-hate relationship with Serbia, at least with its political class, with the former deputy Prime Minister of the eastern European nation launching a verbal tirade against the tennis legend.

Djokovic had expressed solidarity with the people of Serbia during the post-match presentation ceremony after the recent Australian Open final, in which he had lost to Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7.

"A message for our people in Serbia: justice and truth always win. Let them persevere," Djokovic had said after falling narrowly short of a record 25th Grand Slam. The comment was aimed at Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, who has been in power since May 2017 and faces mass protests from students over allegations of corruption.

More from Tennis News

Djokovic accused of using 'own children in political campaign'

Former Serbian deputy PM Zorana Mihajlovic, however, was not pleased by Djokovic's post-match comment, labeling it as "pathetic" and claiming Djokovic wanted to become the head of the state himself despite having "barely finished elementary school".

"Pathetic. No matter how great an athlete he is, the message is sent by a man who barely finished elementary school and was expelled from high school. So what, he wants to lead the state? To use his own children in a political campaign," Mihajlovic said in reply.

Mihajlovic is a former member of the Serbian Progressive Party, the party that Vukic had co-founded in 2008, and had served as the country's deputy Prime Minister from 2014 to 2022 as well as two separate stints as minister of mining and energy.

Djokovic, meanwhile, had moved out of Serbia with his family and relocated to Athens in Greece in September last year due to growing pressure from pro-Vukic circles in his home country.

The 10-time Australian Open champion has since enrolled his children Stefan and Tara in a private British school in Athens, and had thanked the "great hospitality of the Greek people" while competing in the inaugural Hellenic Championships in November.