Tearing around like bulls in a Belgrade china shop, the Djokovic family were at it again on Monday.
No sooner had their most famous member regained his freedom from a Melbourne judge than they were almost inviting the Australian government to intervene and send him home.
When cool heads and humility were required they called a press conference in the Serbian capital that struck a belligerent and triumphalist tone.
Novak Djokovic’s uncle Goran, mother Dijana, father Srdjan and brother Djordje at a press conference in Belgrade on Monday
These walking public relations blunderbusses lined up to speak in terms of ‘victory’ and ‘big wins’. For good measure, Djokovic’s mother, Dijana, referred to his ‘torture’ at the hands of the Australian government.
It is not known whether Canberra immigration minister Alex Hawke was still up watching this monologue of the tone-deaf.
Family solidarity is to be admired, but it is hard to think that he will have been impressed by the chaotic gathering in Belgrade. It appeared to serve no purpose other than antagonising the Australian authorities.
Today Hawke still had Djokovic’s fate in his hands, as he has the executive power to go above the court order handed down earlier by Judge Anthony Kelly and deport the nine-times champion.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic still doesn't know for certain if he will be allowed to stay in Australia to play in the Australian Open
Novak himself was billed as joining the conference by link from Melbourne, where it was midnight. Instead he had rushed straight to the Rod Laver Arena for a practice session, swapping his legal team for the one helping him with his tennis.
He said he was pleased and grateful and posted a smiling picture of himself, proudly unvaccinated, with his support staff on the floodlit court where he has won so often.
Even that had an uncomfortable hint of triumph about it. Not unlike the post of January 4 which ignited this extraordinary saga, when he announced he had found the means to travel Down Under.
There has not been much concession to the sensitivities of a population who have been among the world’s most locked-down under authoritarian Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews.
Immigration minister Alex Hawke (pictured) has refused to rule out using his personal powers to re-cancel Novak Djokovic's visa
That said, the earlier comfortable straight-sets win in the court of justice against the Ministry of Home Affairs was a cause for celebration.
‘The point I’m somewhat agitated about is, what more could this man have done?’ Judge Kelly had wondered aloud, as he weighed up the highly legalistic arguments about whether
