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Novak Djokovic not allowed to play in Miami Open after failing to get COVID-19 vaccination exemption – Yahoo Sports
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Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, stays away from Australian Open semifinal
A video shared online this week appeared to show Srdjan Djokovic standing alongside supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his son’s victory over Russian player Andrey Rublev on Wednesday.
One fan could be seen holding a Russian flag featuring an image of Putin and wearing a T-shirt with the letter “Z,” which has become a pro-Russian symbol since the invasion of Ukraine. Srdjan Djokovic responded “Zivjeli Russiyani,” translated in the video as “Long live the Russians,” before walking away.
In his statement, Srdjan, who is Serbian, said he had taken photos with fans “as I have done after all of my son’s matches. I had no intention of being caught up in this.
“My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace,” he added.
Novak Djokovic addressed the controversy after he defeated Paul, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2, to advance to Sunday’s final against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
“Well, yeah, I saw, as everybody else saw, what happened [Wednesday],” Djokovic said. “It was unfortunate that the misinterpretation of what happened [Wednesday] has escalated to such a high level. There was, I would say, a lot of conversations with tournament director, with media and everyone else. It has got to me, of course, as well. I was not aware of it till last night. Then, of course, I was not pleased to see that.”
Djokovic went on to echo his father’s statement that his family does not support war, that Srdjan was meeting with fans as he usually does after his son’s matches, and that his presence was misconstrued.
“My father, as he said in the statement, has been going after every single match to meet with my fans at the main square here in Australian Open, to thank them for the support, to be with them, pay them respect, and make photos,” Djokovic said. “The photo that he made, he was passing through. I heard what he said in the video. He said, ‘Cheers.’ Unfortunately some of the media has interpreted that in a really wrong way. I’m sorry that that has escalated so much. But I hope people understand that there was absolutely no intention whatsoever to support any kind of war initiatives or anything like that.”
Although flags are normally permitted during Australian Open matches at Melbourne Park, Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags on the second day of this year’s tournaments after a Russian flag was displayed courtside during a first-round women’s match last week between Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine and Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia. Tennis Australia then said the flags would be banned to avoid “disruption.”
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have only been allowed to compete at the Australian Open and a number of other tennis tournaments as “neutral” players, with no reference to their countries or flags, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Belarus supported. In other sporting events, including Wimbledon and the men’s soccer World Cup, they were completely banned from taking part.
“Throughout the event we’ve spoken with players and their teams about the importance of not engaging in any activity that causes distress or disruption,” Tennis Australia said in a statement Friday.
Noting Srdjan Djokovic’s decision not to attend Friday’s match, the body said that it would “continue to strive for the safety of fans at the event,” and repeated that flags from Russia and Belarus were banned. “Tennis Australia stands with the call for peace and an end to war and violent conflict in Ukraine.”
Michael Miller in New South Wales, Australia, and Liz Clarke in Washington contributed to this report.
Novak Djokovic’s dad, Srdjan Djokovic, responds to Putin flag video
Novak Djokovic’s dad will not be courtside for his son’s Australian Open semi-final against Tommy Paul on Friday night in the fallout to posing with pro-Putin demonstrators earlier in the week.
The tournament has been tossed into scandal after police detained four men outside Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night following Djokovic’s quarter-final win over Russian Andrey Rublev.
Spectators inside Melbourne Park were seen with pro-war signs and flags featuring the face of Putin as they chanted outside the stadium.
A video posted on YouTube now appears to show Djokovic’s dad, Srdjan, posing with a group of men who were also seen waving the Russian flags which have been banned from the Australian Open.
Newsagency inews.co.uk first reported the video which appears to show Srdjan telling one of the demonstrators “Long live the Russians” in a loose translation.
Those translations were corrected by Serbian journalist @ozmo_sasa who noted that Srdjan said “Živeli, ljudi”, meaning “cheers, guys”.
In a video posted on the YouTube channel Aussie Cossack, the father of the nine-time Australian Open champion was seen alongside a man who was wearing a T-shirt that prominently featured the pro-war ‘Z’ symbol.
The video also shows that the group of Russian activists was able to stage its demonstration for an extended period of time before security intervened.
Tennis Australia earlier confirmed four spectators were detained by police and were further questioned.
A statement from Victoria Police has confirmed all four men were evicted from the event.
But rather than pretend like nothing happened, Srdjan will sit out his sons semi-final, releasing a statement on Friday.
“I am here to support my son only,” the statement read. “I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption.
“I was outside with Novak’s fans as I have done after all of my son’s matches to celebrate his wins and take pictures with them. I had no intention of being caught up in this.
“My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace.
“So there is no disruption to tonight’s semi-final for my son or for the other player, I have chosen to watch from home.
“I wish for a great match and will be cheering for my son, as always.”
The statement also said Novak did not wish to make any comments.
The images sparked plenty of backlash including from Nine commentator Sam Smith who said Novak would “devastated” by the images.
Former Aussie tennis star turned Victorian member of parliament Sam Groth tweeted: “Acts of incitement have no place in our state and no place at our major events.
“The Australian Open must be a welcoming, safe and inclusive event for all, not an opportunity to express a harmful and offensive agenda or deliberately intimidate others.
“Melbourne and Victoria are on the world’s stage and our reputation as a major events capital is on the line. It isn’t good enough for the State Government to avoid responsibility and buck pass to others.
“The State Government and event organisers must today explain what actions they are taking to put an end to these unacceptable behaviours.”
Former Ukrainian tennis star Alexander Dolgopolov called for the supporters, including Djokovic’s dad to be banned over the drama.
“Absolutely disgusting. Politics should be kept out of sports they said. These people have absolutely no business in being on tennis tournaments, including @DjokerNole father, if they openly praise a genocidal regime,” he wrote.
Novak Djokovic’s father poses with fan wearing pro-Russia ‘Z’ symbol at the Australian Open
CNN
—
The Australian Open told CNN it has “briefed and reminded” players and their entourages about the tournament’s “policy regarding flags and symbols” on Thursday after video emerged on Wednesday of Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, pictured at a demonstration with fans holding Russian flags, voicing his support for Russia.
In a video posted on YouTube by a known Vladimir Putin supporter, the Serbian player’s father can be seen posing with a fan outside Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. The man is wearing the “Z” symbol on his shirt, while holding a Russian flag with Putin’s face on it. “Long live the Russia,” he says.
The “Z” symbol is viewed as a sign of support for Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine. The symbol has been seen on Russian equipment and clothing in Ukraine.
“Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that has the potential to disrupt,” an Australian Open spokesperson told CNN Thursday.
“We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies.”
The Australian Open spokesperson went on to say “a small group of people displayed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards following a match on Wednesday night and were evicted. One patron is now assisting police with unrelated matters.”
In a statement Friday that addressed criticism of his actions but stopped short of an apology, Srdjan Djokovic said he was in Melbourne “to support my son only,” and “had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption.”
“I was outside with Novak’s fans as I have done after all of my son’s matches to celebrate his wins and take pictures with them. I had no intention of being caught up in this,” he said.
“My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace.”
He added that he would watch his son’s semifinal match against US star Tommy Paul from home on Friday “so there is no disruption … for my son or for the other player.”
Novak Djokovic will not be commenting on the situation, his management told CNN.
Earlier Friday, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia had urged the player to state his position on the war, saying the incident with his father had amounted to a “provocation” and “shines a negative light on Novak himself as he prepares for his semi-final.”
“I think for him to dispel the speculation it’s important to make a very strong statement about where he stands on this war, and I would like to see an apology from Novak Djokovic,” Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko told CNN.
“Of course, the son cannot be responsible for the sins of his father, but maybe he has the same opinion as his father. I think the world should know where he stands.”
Tennis Australia has confirmed that four people were ejected from the tournament on Wednesday for displaying pro-war imagery.
According to the Australian Open rules Russian and Belarusian flags are banned from the event.
Tennis Australia has a “neutral flag” policy and has re-emphasized it policy amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Novak Djokovic overcomes injury, heckler to advance in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic propped up his left shoe on a courtside sign so he could stretch out a hamstring that he acknowledged afterward concerns him. He grimaced while flexing the muscle after one point, hopped on his right leg to keep weight off the left after another. He took a medical timeout while a trainer re-taped him during the second set — which Djokovic would go on to drop.
As if he needed another distraction, Djokovic was flustered enough by a heckler that he asked chair umpire Fergus Murphy to have the spectator removed from Rod Laver Arena, telling the official: “The guy’s drunk out of his mind. … He’s been provoking. He just wants to get in my head.”
As Djokovic summed up afterward: “It was a lot happening tonight.”
Here’s what did not happen Thursday evening at the Australian Open: Djokovic did not lose his way entirely and, most importantly, he did not lose in the second round, which is what happened to both No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal and No. 2 seed Casper Ruud.
Seeking a 10th trophy at Melbourne Park, to add to his own record, and a 22nd Grand Slam title overall, to equal Nadal’s, Djokovic put everything aside and beat 191st-ranked French qualifier Enzo Couacaud 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0. It was Djokovic’s 23rd consecutive win at the Australian Open, a streak that paused a year ago when he couldn’t play in the tournament because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I am worried. I mean, I cannot say that I’m not. I have reason to be worried,” Djokovic said about the hamstring, noting that he needs to avoid practicing on days before matches.
“There’s not much more to talk about,” Djokovic said. “There’s two choices: Leave it or keep going. So I’m going to keep going.”
A group of people dressed in red-and-white striped shirts straight out of “Where’s Waldo?” left the arena after Djokovic pleaded his case with Murphy about one of them giving him a particularly hard time.
“What I have a problem with is when somebody’s crossing the line, numerous times … and saying things that were not respectful at all,” Djokovic explained at his news conference, adding that it had been going on for more than 1 1/2 hours. “I had enough, you know?”
This did not shape up as a contest of much intrigue, given that the fourth-seeded Djokovic has done all that he has done, while Couacaud entered with a career mark of 2-5. And whatever Couacaud’s chances were beforehand seemed to dim just four games in, when he turned his right ankle and required a visit from a trainer.
But Couacaud overcame that and played freely, conjuring some terrific shotmaking.
“You just have to deal with it. One of those circumstances and situations where things are maybe not going perfectly your way,” Djokovic said. “But that’s sport.”
He was speaking about how his foe was playing, yet the sentiment captured the night well.
There was a bit of Djokovic’s usual interplay with the crowd when he got his game in order. After breaking to lead 2-0 in the last set, he jogged around his side of the court, as if to show his opponent, and everyone else, just how well he was feeling and just how well he was playing.
At another moment, he basked in roars of approval by pointing his index finger to his right ear, asking for more.
Couacaud managed to have some fun, too, when he briefly made things a bit interesting, celebrating his claim of the second set by pointing to the court as if to indicate, “This is my house!”
Which, of course, it is not. The place belongs to Djokovic, who will play No. 27 Grigor Dimitrov next, and knows that two highly ranked contenders are no longer possible obstacles.
Novak Djokovic confirms he will miss US Open due to Covid vaccine status | Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not play at the US Open due to his vaccine status.
The world No 6, who has not been vaccinated against Covid-19, said last month that he was hoping “for some good news from USA” with the country requiring non-citizens to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus to enter. However, a recent update on the US Centers for Disease Control website confirmed the rule will remain in effect for the immediate future.
On Thursday, the Serb, a three-times winner at Flushing Meadows, confirmed he will not play in the tournament.
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“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open,” he tweeted. “Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”
The draw for the tournament, which starts next week, will me made on Thursday at 12pm local time.
Djokovic also missed the Australian Open this year, after a lengthy row over Covid rules.
B.J. Novak Shuts Down Bill Maher’s ‘Cancel Culture’ Nonsense
On Friday night, Bill Maher welcomed an unlikely guest to Real Time: B.J. Novak, the Office writer/co-star, bestselling author, and filmmaker.
Novak visited the HBO program to promote his feature directorial debut Vengeance, an indie screwball about an opportunistic New York City journalist/podcaster who ventures to red-state Texas to investigate the death of a former flame. So naturally, Maher tried to engage Novak on a number of hot-button cultural issues regarding the political divide in this country.
Maher kicked things off by asking Novak about “the cognitive dissonance of, I don’t agree with you politically, but I like you personally… how can we do that on a national level en masse?”
“In my opinion, it’s about emotion more than argument, and I think it’s about stopping ourselves from picking at the scab of everything that we disagree on,” Novak calmly explained. “Twitter is a drug for that, and when we’re separate behind screens, we pick the scab, we bite the canker sore of the things we disagree on. And I think if we all try to do that less, and focus on things like comedy, or sports, or art, or whatever, or sitting down over dinner, I think that is a start.”
The audience gave Novak a round of applause, which made Maher awkwardly smirk.
Then, Maher waded into so-called “cancel culture,” which in this case encompassed the notion that Twitter-happy audience members are somehow censoring Hollywood productions and not vice versa.
“Lately we’ve been talking a lot about on this show—we’re gonna talk about it tonight—the freedom in the arts,” offered Maher, before continuing: “You know, you’ve written some episodes of… The Office which they don’t show now. I see Jamie Foxx’s new movie was shelved—I guess he made it a few years ago, but they’re not gonna ever show it. They make less comedies. I mean, you found a way to make a comedy about something, but I’m sure you have to be very careful about a lot of different things. They’re making less because it’s so not worth it to even try. Where are you on that?”
Novak wasn’t so convinced of Maher’s theory. “I think there’s a difference between the gatekeepers and the audience—and I think you see this firsthand as a stand-up. The audiences, I think, are pretty down for everything,” he said. “They’re pretty smart people, and can be trusted a lot more than the gatekeepers sometimes worry. The gatekeepers are worried about the chatter in their own spheres, but I think audiences can be trusted to be pretty smart.”
“But it’s not in the hands of the audience,” shot back Maher.
“That’s what I’m saying,” replied Novak. “I’m saying, I don’t think the problem is that the audiences are too sensitive. I think the problem is that people are worried that other people are too sensitive.”
Maher was speechless.
The Office episode controversy Maher mentioned could use a bit of context. He was referring to an episode of The Office, “Diversity Day,” that Comedy Central decided to omit from an Office marathon on its network. The episode is still available on streaming services and for purchase, so this was clearly a decision made by the gatekeepers and not the audience, as Novak contended.
As for Jamie Foxx’s feature directorial debut All-Star Weekend, which the actor has claimed was shelved indefinitely due to sensitivities over Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican in the film, well, the movie was shot all the way back in 2016, and apparently featured Foxx playing a white racist cop and Downey Jr. as a Mexican. The movie was originally scheduled to be released in Feb. 2018, timed to NBA All-Star weekend, but was not completed in time. Its release date was then pushed a year to NBA All-Star weekend 2019 but was still not completed in time. All-Star Weekend’s release was subsequently pushed to late 2019, and then to 2021, but is now apparently on ice. We don’t know whether this has to do with the quality of the film or other factors, but rest assured, it’s the studio’s decision.
An important piece of info that Maher rather conveniently failed to mention regarding All-Star Weekend is that, in addition to its apparent post-production problems, Jeremy Piven has second billing in the film. In late 2017 into early 2018, eight women accused Piven of sexual misconduct.
Mindy Kaling On B.J. Novak Paternity Two Children Rumor
You know that Mindy Kaling is the mother to two children, Katherine and Spencer.
You might also know that former The Office costar B.J. Novak — who dated Kaling on and off throughout the show’s run — is the godfather to Katherine and Spencer.
Now, if you’re the type who spends a decent amount of time on the internet (who isn’t?), you might have come across the occasional speculation that B.J. is actually the father to Mindy’s two children.
Mindy hasn’t previously addressed the rumors, but she finally discussed them in a recent interview with Marie Claire.
“It doesn’t bother me,” she replied when asked about how the speculation makes her feel.
“He’s the godparent to both my kids — and they have such a great relationship — and so far [the speculation hasn’t] affected my happiness at all, it hasn’t affected my kids or B.J.,” she said.
“If that’s what is going to be titillating to people, I’ll take it.”
This isn’t the first time Mindy’s addressed the paternity of her children, which she has chosen not to reveal publicly to date.
Back in 2019, the New York Times asked her about how she arrived at the decision to keep the identity of Katherine’s father private.
“My feeling is that until I speak to my daughter about that, I’m not going to talk to anyone else about it,” she said.
Read the entire Marie Claire interview with Mindy here.