A mural of tennis legend Novak Djokovic has been vandalized in his home country, Serbia, sparking outrage from the artist who created it. This incident follows Djokovic’s recent move to Greece, despite being one of Serbia’s most celebrated athletes.
Djokovic, who clinched a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam men’s title just over two years ago at the US Open, has yet to secure his 25th title. However, he did make it to the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams this year.
Reports suggest that Djokovic has settled in Athens, with his children enrolled in a prestigious British school in the city.
The 38 year old tennis icon and his family have found a residence in the southern suburbs of Athens, where he has already been seen. His relocation to Greece followed several meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Previously, Djokovic had shown support for student-led protests against Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic following a tragic railway station collapse in Novi Sad last November, which claimed 16 lives.
The defaced mural was the work of Serbian street artist and architect Andrej Josifovski, also known as The Pianist. Painted earlier this year on a wall in Belgrade, it depicted Djokovic in action during this year’s Wimbledon.
Josifovski expressed his disappointment on social media, sharing an image of the vandalized artwork.
He penned: “Imagine that great patriot in an orange jacket and a cap, sneaking around at night, then stopping in front of Novak (YES, NOVAK! ) – looking him in the eyes and throwing paint on his face and body.
“That’s the fine Serbian youth from the cage who just want to learn how to paint graffiti. We conquered the peak of the bottom long ago, but now we’re heading into the stratosphere.
“Don’t worry, my brother @djokernole, retaliation is coming – but without a mask, in broad daylight, the way we do it.”
This act of vandalism follows the 2023 defacement of a mural of Djokovic, located in the town of Orahovac in western Kosovo.
The mural was restored after being splattered with white paint, only to be vandalized again a few months later when black lines were sprayed over it.
The second act of vandalism occurred after Djokovic had written on the lens of a camera at the French Open: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! No violence.”