Novak Djokovic's father insults Roger Federer publicly, questions ATP's awards process

Novak Djokovic's troubled relationship with the media, in particular the western media, has long been a point of conversation in the world of tennis. Since his breakthrough into the men's game in the early 2010s, the Serbian star has earned a mostly undeserved reputation as a "prima donna" player. Despite his best intentions and after 10 years on the circuit to prove that he was in fact, neither difficult nor just someone who lucked into a few Slams, Djokovic has not been able to break into the West's obsession with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

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Novak Djokovic's father comments on Roger Federer and Western media

Having broken into the much cherished Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal rivalry early in his career, it didn't take young Novak Djokovic long to make enemies. Just weeks after Djokovic talked about how the media's unfair portrayal of him did not faze him, his father Srdjan Djokovic, echoed a similar sentiment. Djokovic's historic victory at the Australian Open 2021 - the 18th addition to the Djokovic Grand Slams collection - finished off a controversial tour for the World No. 1. Where a dominant win like that may have earned Federer or Nadal high praise, Djokovic's win was far less applauded than the criticisms his failures begot.

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Talking about this unequal treatment of his son, Djokovic's father commented that “the agony has been going on for 10 years... All the evils and upside down are on the front pages and successes are put aside". The 60-year-old also did not hesitate to add that he believed that this harsh limelight was the work of UK/US/Europe based media houses and added that “all normal people in the world love him. They [the West] are only one-fifth of the world. China, India, Russia, Brazil, Africa, he is a deity everywhere”. Srdjan also admitted that he was at peace with the fact that Djokovic would never receive such love from the West.

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Srdjan also took a shot at the ATP and called out the lack of transparency in their award processes, pointing out that since 2004, Roger Federer (13) and Rafael Nadal (4) have been the ONLY two players to have won the prestigious Stefan Edberg sportsmanship award - a dubious distinction considering the thousands of players on the tour. He also remarked that Djokovic was among the most gracious players on the tour, specifying that no other player thanked the audience the way he did or congratulated their opponents - even after losses - as his son did. 

“He is not only fighting for himself and his interests, but also for other tennis players who can barely make ends meet,” he concluded. This, a fact that became apparent after Djokovic tried to secure better living conditions for lower-ranked players at the Australian Open - something neither Nadal nor Federer has ever done. 

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Image Credits: Novak Djokovic Twitter