Djokovic: Grateful to Vucic for Support, Who Put Himself in Compromised Position

Novak Djokovic, Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade, Feb.3 2022(BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

Tennis player Novak Djokovic thanked Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Feb. 3, for the support the president and the institutions of Serbia povided to him while he was in detention in Melbourne, due to problems with his visa ahead of the Australian Open (AO) tournament.

Speaking at the news conference after the meeting with Vucic at the Presidency, Djokovic assessed that, by engaging in the issue, the Serbian president had "probably placed himself in a compromised situation" in the sphere of international relations.

"Although I was in detention in Australia, I did not feel lonely. I had primarily the support of my family and of the entire Serbian people. Well-meaning people have contacted me and tried, through both public and private channels, to make my stay in Australia easier," Djokovic said, adding that Vucic and the Serbian state did not have the obligation to assist him and that such things were not implied, but were appreciated and respected.

Djokovic, whose Feb. 3 public address was the first since the events in Australia, has announced that, within the next seven to ten days, he would give the media "a more thorough and detailed" version of the events that have preceded the AO tournament.