(Budva) World tennis superstar Novak Djokovic was made an honorary citizen of a small town in Montenegro on Friday, nearly two weeks after he was kicked out of Australia and denied the Open because of his vaccination status.
Posted at 9:39
Several hundred people gathered in front of the town hall of Budva, a seaside resort on the Adriatic, to greet the world No.1.
“Budva is with Novak,” read one banner. As the 34-year-old Serb pushed his way through the crowd, they began chanting “Nole, Nole”, his nickname in the Balkans.
Djokovic, accompanied by his parents, did not speak to the media.
“Besides his exceptional sports results, Novak Djokovic is a recognized humanist and philanthropist,” said the Budva city council.
The player received the charter of honorary citizen of the locality from the hands of the mayor Marko Carevic. “You have demonstrated by your efforts and your work how to fight for the family and the people,” he said.
Djokovic returned to Belgrade on January 17 after being expelled from Melbourne, where he dreamed of a 10and victory at the Australian Open and a 21and record Grand Slam title.
In Sunday’s final, Russian Daniil Medvedev will face Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
After a long political and legal imbroglio, the unvaccinated star failed to convince the Australian justice to accept his appeal against the cancellation of his visa by the Australian government and had to leave the country.
Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated casts doubt on his future participation in other Grand Slams.
As elsewhere in the Balkans, Djokovic is extremely popular in Montenegro where he married in 2014.
The player was already an honorary citizen of another Montenegrin city, Niksic. Throughout his Australian saga, Montenegrins have staged demonstrations of support in several cities.
Since his return, Djokovic had already traveled to the tiny Balkan country where he visited the Orthodox monastery of Ostrog and met the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Bishop Joanikije.