Novak Djokovic’s 63-year-old father Srjdan has been admitted to hospital in Serbia’s capital Belgrade after injuring his arm and shoulder in a fall while feeding birds at home
Novak Djokovic has rushed to a hospital in Belgrade to be with his father after he suffered injuries in a fall at home.
Djokovic had been due to fly to Italy to prepare for the upcoming Rome Open but instead went back home to Serbia. According to reports in Serbia, Djokovic’s father Srdjan was admitted to an emergency centre in Belgrade after falling and injuring his arm while feeding the birds in his garden.
The world No.1, his brother Marko and his uncle Goran went to the hospital to be with the 63-year-old, who has reportedly broken his humerus. Srdjan will reportedly need to undergo surgery to repair the fracture to his upper arm and shoulder bone.
Djokovic is very close to his father, who has been one of his biggest supporters throughout his career. He is often a visible presence among Djokovic’s supporters at Grand Slams and has been vocal in his criticism of what he sees as a negative portrayal of his son.
“It is obvious that foreign media outlets do not have the best opinion of us and think that we are constantly bothering them,” he said last year. “To tell you the truth, I do not want to be part of your twisted world. I’m sorry you don’t like Novak. I just tell you the truth.”
Djokovic decided not to play at the Madrid Open this week, but was in the Spanish capital last week, where he was named the World Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards for the fifth time. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Madrid this year,” he explained.
“I’ve planned to play in Rome, so I hope I’ll be able to do that, if I prepare well. This year has been a bit different for me, I haven’t yet found my best level of tennis and I hope I will at Roland Garros.”
Srdjan was mired in controversy at the 2023 Australian Open, when he appeared to profess his support for Vladimir Putin and Russia amid the war in Ukraine, but he has been unflinching in his support for Djokovic. “Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life,” he said in a documentary last year.
“I expect him to be recognised for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year. And for Novak to slowly but surely… it’s not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let’s say.
“My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job. It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding – with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”
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