Novak Djokovic gets blunt message from Serbia’s controversial president after smear campaign

Ewan West 26 Feb 2026 6:15 PM

Novak Djokovic playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup

Novak Djokovic has been sent a message by Serbia’s controversial president after the tennis icon was the target of a smear campaign from his country’s government due to his political stance.

Belgrade-born Djokovic relocated to Greece’s capital, Athens, in September last year with his wife, Jelena, and their two children, Stefan and Tara.

Djokovic has not explicitly stated the reason for his move, but it is believed to be related to him being at odds with the Serbian government.

In December 2024, Djokovic – who is Serbia’s biggest national icon – expressed support for the student-led protests against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and the government as a whole.

The previous month, mass protests took place in Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia, after the collapse of a railway station canopy killed 16 people, with demonstrators accusing Serbian police and local authorities of negligence and corruption. Protests had spread to 400 cities and towns by March 2025.

According to Jaschar Dugalic, a journalist reporting for German news outlet Neue Zurcher Zeitung, the Serbian government “set its sights” on Djokovic as a result of his stance.

Dugalic reported, that “regime-friendly media” in Serbia has attacked the character of Djokovic, with tabloid newspaper Informer branding the tennis legend a “disgrace” in response to his public support for protests.

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After it was reported that Djokovic was considering moving to Athens with his family, the same outlet labelled him “a false patriot who had presented himself as a symbol of Serbia for years only to now flee to Greece.”

Dugalic added that: “an entrepreneur and opponent of the protests published a video linking Djokovic’s father to an alleged paedophile.”

What did Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic say about Novak Djokovic?

At the age of 38, Djokovic became the oldest player to reach an Australian Open final with his run at the 2026 edition of the Melbourne major last month.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion downed Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set semi-final before falling in four sets to world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the title match.

Speaking on TV Pink, as quoted by Sport Klub, Vucic congratulated Djokovic on his Australian Open heroics.

“I wholeheartedly support Djokovic and all the people who wear the Serbian tricolour, and [I am] looking forward to his success,” Vucic said (translated from Serbian).

“[He showed] something incredible in those years [in his win against Jannik Sinner]. [He is] the greatest of this time in a difficult and demanding sport.

“It is much more than a congratulatory message, he represents his country with dignity and makes it popular. Regardless of the result of the final, I support him.”

The president also revealed that he had spoken with Djokovic and bluntly declared that he “will not change” his beliefs under the influence of any star.

“I told him what I thought, now I would say it in a harsher way, not towards him, but towards the situation we were in,” Vucic asserted.

“I will not change my beliefs under the influence of any sports, acting or entertainment star.”