Novak Djokovic’s dad has had his say on the situation surrounding his son and it is an interesting take, to say the least.
It is looking increasingly likely that Djokovic will be kicked out of Australia following his ‘medical exemption’ not holding up against the country’s strict vaccination requirement, and the Serb’s dad has defended the world number one and criticised how he has been treated.
"What is not fair play is the political witch hunt by everybody, including the Australian Prime Minister pretending that the rules apply to all.
"[Djokovic] met all the required conditions for the entry and participation at the tournament that he would have certainly won.”
At this point it seemed like it was just a dad defending his son, and, despite the arrogance, it wasn’t a particularly controversial message from the senior Djokovic.
However, it took a turn when he stated: "Jesus was crucified and endured many things but is still alive among us. Novak is also crucified... the best sportsman and man in the world. He will endure."
This was where many people who may have verged on agreeing with Srdjan Djokvoic would have most likely turned off the press conference.
It is hard to see the similarities between the two situations, in fact it is literally impossible, and the comparison between the two scenarios is likely to have made the situation for the nine-time Australian Open winner even more difficult.
Djana Djokovic, Novak's mum, also joined in on the debate, saying: "I feel terrible since yesterday, the last 24 hours. They are keeping him like a prisoner. It's just not fair. It's not human."
The debate will continue to dominate tennis discourse all the way through the tournament and “what if Djokovic was here?” is likely to be heard by commentators throughout the duration of the Grand Slam.