Novak Djokovic appears to send powerful message to Olympic organisers after apology is issued
Novak Djokovic has never shied away from making stands major issues that he feels passionately about and it seems to is doing just that at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Djokovic famously stood up against the imposition of Covid vaccine requirements and suffered big consequences for his stance, as he was deported from Melbourne ahead of the 2022 Australian Open and then missed a host of big tournaments due to vaccine travel requirements.
Proud Serbian Djokovic then left a political message on a TV camera lens at the 2023 French Open in response to violent clashes in Kosovo.
Now it appears he is making another statement with his decision to proudly wear a cross to highlight his devotion to Orthodox Christianity.
Djokovic has rarely spoken about his religious beliefs in public, but did make a prominent comment in April 2011, when he received the Order of Saint Sava, which is the highest honor given by the Serbian Orthodox Church.
“This is the most important title of my life because before being an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” he told Aleteia, an international Roman Catholic news publication.
The honour was given to him for financial contributions to the renovation of religious buildings in Serbia and for generosity within the Orthodox community.
Now Djokovic appears to have made a stand after the controversial start to the Paris 2024 games that saw the opening ceremony marred in controversy, with Christian religious leaders around the world shocked by a scene presented to the world that appeared to be a mockery of their religion.
Paris 2024 organiser Anne Descamps was forced to apologise for any offence caused by religious depictions during the opening ceremony.
Friday’s showpiece has drawn some criticism for a banquet scene where an actor playing Greek god Dionysus took centre stage on a table with drag queens, which has been interpreted to resemble Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting.
Novak Djokovic News
The 29 Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal clay-court matches – after Paris 2024 showdown
Some religious groups condemned the ceremony, including the Catholic Church in France who said it included “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity”.
In a press conference on Sunday, Descamps apologised for any offence caused and insisted that the ceremony intended to “celebrate community tolerance”.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” she said.
“On the contrary, I think (director) Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved, if people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledged Descamps’ comments in a statement on X, which read: “The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony.”
Djokovic has not worn religious symbols over the course of his career, but he has ensured his silver cross is very visible over his tennis kit in his post-match interviews since the controversy inspired by Jolly’s opening ceremony became global news.
After his brilliant performance in beating his old rival Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Olympics singles event, there is no doubt that Djokovic is getting back to his very best form as he targets one of the last big goals in his career.
If he is being driven by divine inspiration, Djokovic may well be unstoppable in his mission to finally win Olympic gold.
