{"id":1220812,"date":"2022-01-17T19:37:13","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T00:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1220812"},"modified":"2022-01-17T19:37:51","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T00:37:51","slug":"you-are-our-champion-novak-djokovic-gets-heros-welcome-in-serbia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-are-our-champion-novak-djokovic-gets-heros-welcome-in-serbia\/","title":{"rendered":"&#039;You Are Our Champion&#039;: Novak Djokovic Gets Hero\u2019s Welcome in Serbia"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fyou-are-our-champion-novak-djokovic-gets-heros-welcome-in-serbia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1220812&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\"><span>Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic returned to his native Serbia on Monday, receiving a hero\u2019s welcome from a throng of fans after the Australian government blocked him from participating in the Australian Open and deported him over a coronavirus vaccination dispute.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou are our champion, Novak!\u201d a crowd of admirers shouted as Novak deplaned in Belgrade on Monday morning.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Reuters<\/span><span> quoted fans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/lifestyle\/sports\/australia-leaves-door-open-djokovic-play-next-years-open-2022-01-17\/\">saying<\/a> the Australian Open was tainted and invalidated by the exclusion of Djokovic, who has won the tournament on nine previous occasions and was favored to win again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic himself was sportsmanlike, describing himself as \u201cuncomfortable\u201d that his saga of detention and expulsion from Australia was diverting attention from \u201cthe game and the tournament I love.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2022\/01\/05\/we-will-fight-them-in-the-streets-djokovic-dad-says-australia-holding-son-captive-over-vaccines\/\"><span>arrived<\/span><\/a><span> in Melbourne on January 5 believing that he possessed a medical exemption to Australia\u2019s vaccine mandate, granted by local officials because he allegedly recovered from a Chinese coronavirus infection in December and should therefore have natural immunity.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Australian federal authorities declared the exemption invalid upon his arrival, canceled his visa, and detained him at a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/01\/06\/australia-forces-tennis-champion-novak-djokovic-dingy-refugee-facility\/\"><span>notorious Melbourne facility<\/span><\/a><span> while his appeal against their decision was processed. He was detained again over the weekend and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/djokovic-on-australian-opens-day-1-program-pending-appeal\/\"><span>deported<\/span><\/a><span> on Sunday after his appeal was rejected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Many Serbs, notably including high-ranking government officials and Djokovic family members, denounced Australia\u2019s treatment of the tennis star as motivated by anti-Serb racism and a scurrilous desire to keep the top men\u2019s player off the Australian Open court, where he most likely would have made history.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19514386\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/16\/australian-tennis-fans-selfie-photo-of-defending-champion-novak-djokovic-of-serbia-of-rou.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19514386 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/australian-tennis-fans-selfie-photo-of-defending-champion-novak-djokovic-of-serbia-of-rou-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Fans take a selfie with a photo of defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia ahead of first round matches at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo\/Hamish Blair)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Some Djokovic fans accused the Australian government of using him as a high-profile scapegoat for its unsuccessful pandemic policies. Some rallied around him as a symbol of resistance to pandemic authoritarianism.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19516370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/17\/australian-djokovic-politics-defending-champion-serbia-novak-djokovic-practices-of-australian.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19516370 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/australian-djokovic-politics-defending-champion-serbia-novak-djokovic-practices-of-australian-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Defending champion Serbia\u2019s Novak Djokovic practices ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2022. (AP Photo\/Mark Baker, File)<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Many Australians, in turn, were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6138074\/novak-djokovic-australia-visa-covid-19-vaccine\/\"><span>furious<\/span><\/a><span> that a special exemption was granted to a visiting tennis star while they are forced to live under strict lockdown rules and vaccination mandates. Some were angry at Djokovic for not simply getting vaccinated and avoiding the entire controversy. Doctors and health officials in Australia \u2013 and a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-01-16\/serbians-belgrade-angry-australian-government-novak-djokovic\/100759260\"><span>few in Serbia<\/span><\/a><span>&nbsp;\u2013 grumbled that Djokovic has become an \u201canti-vaccination icon,\u201d to the detriment of worldwide efforts to increase vaccination rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19510858\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/16\/australian-djokovic-supporters-of-serbia-novak-djokovic-listen-ruling-lawyer-office-of-djoko.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19510858 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/australian-djokovic-supporters-of-serbia-novak-djokovic-listen-ruling-lawyer-office-of-djoko-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Supporters of Serbia\u2019s Novak Djokovic listen to his ruling outside the lawyer\u2019s office of Djokovic in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (AP Photo\/Mark Baker)<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cThis is a shame what they did to Novak in Australia. This is a shame what the world has come to,\u201d a Djokovic supporter in Belgrade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-60025236\">told<\/a> the <\/span><span>BBC<\/span><span> on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19515458\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/novak-djokovic-disembarks-plane-dubai-losing-legal-battle-australia-afp.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19515458\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/novak-djokovic-disembarks-plane-dubai-losing-legal-battle-australia-afp.jpg\" alt=\"AFP\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Novak Djokovic disembarks from his plane in Dubai after losing a legal battle in Australia. (AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cI myself am vaccinated, double-jabbed, but I think no-one should be forced to do something,\u201d the supporter continued. \u201cHe was judged and sentenced for his freedom of choice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19525930\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237784367.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19525930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237784367.jpg\" alt=\"Supporters of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic gather at the Nikola Tesla Airport on January 17, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic\/Getty Images)\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1312\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Supporters of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic gather at the Nikola Tesla Airport on January 17, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic\/Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cI think he entered history as a hero, as a man and as a fighter against this evil which is called corona-circus,\u201d another supporter told Reuters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-novak-djokovic-sports-health-tennis-7eac4ebb999a2303d6b847dc17bbbc75\"><span>accused<\/span><\/a><span> the Australian government of \u201dharassing\u201d Djokovic and dismissed the ruling against his appeal as a \u201cfarce.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe can\u2019t wait to see him in Serbia, to return to his country, to come where he is always welcome,\u201d Vucic said. \u201cThey think they humiliated Djokovic with this, the best player in the world, by the ten-day harassment, they humiliated themselves and Djokovic can return to his country with his head high up and look everyone in the eye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think the decision is scandalous. I\u2019m disappointed and I think it showed how the rule of law functions in some other countries, that is how the rule of law does not function,\u201d said Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAs the head of the government of the Republic of Serbia I am not happy, but we should not get too emotional. In any case, I can\u2019t wait to see Novak Djokovic in our country, in Serbia, so we can go through this together and so we can offer support in these difficult moments,\u201d Brnabic added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic is technically banned from requesting another Australian visa for three years, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday there is an \u201copportunity\u201d for him to return sooner under the \u201cright circumstances.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>French sports officials on Monday publicly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/lifestyle\/sports\/no-vaccine-no-french-open-djokovic-says-french-sports-ministry-2022-01-17\/\"><span>advised<\/span><\/a><span> Djokovic he would not be admitted to play in the French Open in May under current coronavirus vaccination policies, although they said those policies could change during the coming months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic\u2019s sponsors have largely refrained from commenting on his travails, but on Monday the sportswear company Lacoste <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/01\/17\/business\/novak-djokovic-lacoste-australia\/index.html\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> it would soon \u201cbe in touch with Novak Djokovic to review the events that have accompanied his presence in Australia.\u201d Djokovic has about $30 million in annual endorsement deals, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic returned to his native Serbia on Monday, receiving a hero\u2019s welcome from a throng of fans after the Australian government blocked him from participating in &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1220812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1220812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1220812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1220812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1220812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1220812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1220812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}