Novak Djokovic is reportedly considering moving permanently to Greece amid claims he has been targeted by the Serbian government for his support of student protests in the country.
The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion has faced criticism from Serbian newspapers backing the country’s president Aleksandar Vucic in recent months.
Criticism of Djokovic has reportedly stemmed from his backing of student-led protests against Vucic last December.
The protests were sparked by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November, which killed 16 people.
The disaster led to anger at the Serbian government and Vucic, who has been president for 12 year, with students blaming alleged corruption.
Djokovic offered his backing to the protestors on social media, writing in December: ‘As someone who deeply believes in the power of youth and their desire for a better future, I believe it’s important that their voices are heard.
‘Serbia has enormous potential, and its educated youth is its greatest strength. What we all need is understanding and respect. With you, Novak.’
Djokovic then dedicated a victory at the Australian Open to a student who was hit by a car during a protest. In March, Djokovic wrote ‘History, amazing’ when sharing a photo of one of the largest protests to date with around 300,000 people participating.
Djokovic was also seen at the Belgrade derby basketball match wearing a jumper with featuring the words ‘students are champions’.
The tennis star, who has not explicitly spoken out against Vucic or the Serbian Government, also had to distance himself from claims his post-match celebration at Wimbledon was linked to the protests.
Djokovic had been seen celebrating with a pumping motion, which several had linked to the ‘pump it’ phrase used by students to keep putting pressure on the government.
The 38-year-old claimed his celebration was between him and his children, linked to the song ‘Pump It Up’.
‘I don’t know how many of you guys know that. It’s quite an old song, good rhythm,’ Djokovic said at Wimbledon.
‘So yeah, we’re pumping. We love pumping. We pump after every win. I don’t know the name of the artist.’
According to Germany newspaper NZZ, Djokovic’s actions have led to the Serbian government ‘setting their sights’ on the tennis star.
The report cited the Serbian tabloid newspaper Informer, which is loyal to Vucic, labelling Djokovic a ‘disgrace’ by supporting an alleged ‘colour revolution’ in March.
The newspaper then branded Djokovic, one of the country’s leading international figures, as a ‘false patriot’ after accusing him of ‘fleeing to Greece’.
Informer’s claims followed reports last month that Djokovic is considering relocating his family to Greece through a Golden Visa programme, which allows non-EU citizens to live in the country in exchange for investment.
Djokovic has met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on two occasions recently, with the first coming in Athens in June and the second occurring earlier this month on the island of Tinos.
The star, who largely resides in Monaco, has played down reports of an imminent move to Greece.
‘Obviously, there’s a lot of speculation, but no, at the moment, not,’ Djokovic said, when asked about the speculation during Wimbledon.
‘But who knows what could happen in the future. Yeah, it could happen.’
Speculation had grown after it was announced earlier this month that the Belgrade Open – owned by Djokovic’s family – would be moving to Athens.
‘Despite great dedication and significant efforts, the conditions required to stage the tournament in the planned format and timeframe could not be secured, and it was therefore decided not to hold this year’s edition,’ a statement read confirming the decision.
‘We are proud of everything achieved so far and deeply grateful to all those who were part of this project – especially our partners, sponsors, and the loyal audience that supported us throughout.’
Criticism of Djokovic has marked a major shift in coverage of the star, who has been adored in Serbia throughout his career.
Vucic, who had announced a museum would by built in honour of Djokovic after his Olympic gold medal last year, recently addressed his support of the protestors.
‘I will never say a bad word against him. He can support my opponents, but to say anything bad about him – I never will. It would be bad, stupid,’ Vucic told Informer.
‘We will defeat that policy in the elections, but I will always cheer for him with all my heart.’
