Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action with Serbia’s Olga Danilovic during their round of 16 mixed doubles match against Russia’s Mirra Andreeva and Russia’s Daniil Medvedev at the US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York, Tuesday. [Mike Segar/Reuters]
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has expressed deep concern over the escalating unrest in Serbia, describing the country as being on “the brink of civil war.”
Speaking at a press conference Friday on the sidelines of the US Open, Djokovic said the general atmosphere in the country has made sports a secondary concern for many citizens.
“There is a serious escalation, we are literally on the verge of civil war. I hope the situation will calm down a bit, but there is no indication of that,” he said.
Djokovic also addressed the relocation of the ATP tournament originally scheduled in Belgrade, now set for November 2-8 in Athens at the OAKA indoor basketball arena.
“All I can say is that we didn’t want to move the tournament, unfortunately, but that’s how things are,” he said. He praised the Greek hosts, noting their enthusiasm and the growing popularity of tennis in Greece thanks to players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.
“We can’t wait, because the tournament will be held at OAKA, which is a big and wonderful stadium. I watch basketball [from there] all the time, I hope the attendance will be big,” Djokovic added.