Novak Djokovic new honorary citizen in small Montenegrin town
As expected, Novak Djokovic hardly tasted any sympathy for the affair surrounding his trip to the Australian Open without the necessary corona vaccination in the Balkan region. Twelve days after his expulsion from the Fifth Continent by an Australian federal court, the Serbian tennis world number one was awarded honorary citizenship in the small Montenegrin town of Budva.
by SID
last edit:
Jan 29, 2022, 02:34 pm
In the laudatory speech for Djokovic, Budva's Mayor Marko Carevic only indirectly made a connection between the honoring date, which was only scheduled at short notice, and the 34-year-old's controversial position on vaccinations against the corona virus: "Through your commitment and your work, you have shown how fights for the family and the people," said the head of the 13,000-inhabitant town on the Adriatic and described the winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments as a "recognized humanist and philanthropist".
In front of Budva's town hall, several hundred people celebrated the tennis idol upon his arrival and during the ceremony and made no secret of their solidarity with the star from their neighboring republic, who was criticized worldwide by the Australia posse. "Budva is with Novak," read a large banner. Djokovic, who was accompanied by his parents, did not make a public statement.
Djokovic will probably play in Dubai
Montenegro has a special emotional meaning for Djokovic. In 2014, the "Djoker" married his wife Jelena in the former republic of former Yugoslavia. After returning from Down Under last week, Djokovic had previously traveled to the Balkan country for a visit to the Ostrog Orthodox Monastery and a meeting with Bishop Joanikije, the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
Most recently, Djokovic had also provided a topic of conversation in sporting terms by publishing the first details of his season planning. According to the organizers of the February tournament in Dubai, the number one in the world entered the elite competition in the desert. In the desert state, a corona vaccination is not a prerequisite for entry.