As student protests gather momentum in New Delhi, Novak Djokovic’s support for Serbia’s student movement has once again come into focus. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was one of the most prominent public figures to stand with Serbian students since nationwide demonstrations erupted after the deadly Novi Sad railway station tragedy in November 2024.
The movement began after a concrete canopy at the newly renovated Novi Sad railway station collapsed on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people. The incident sparked public outrage, with students accusing the government of corruption, negligence, and a lack of transparency. What started as anger over the tragedy soon grew into a nationwide movement demanding accountability, and Djokovic emerged as one of its most recognisable supporters.
He first spoke out in December 2024, saying Serbia’s educated youth represented the country’s greatest strength and deserved to be heard.
A month later, during the Australian Open, Djokovic again threw his weight behind the movement. After one of his victories, he wrote “For Sonja” on the camera lens in support of student Sonja Ponjavic, who was seriously injured after being hit by a car during a protest. Explaining the gesture, Djokovic said he stood with students fighting for a better future and could not remain silent about what was unfolding in his country.
His support did not stop there. In the months that followed, Djokovic attended a basketball derby in Belgrade wearing a hoodie bearing the slogan “Students are Champions,” a phrase closely associated with the protests. In March, he and his wife, Jelena, described a student rally attended by more than 100,000 people as “historic,” adding further weight to a movement that had continued to gather momentum.
Even during Wimbledon 2025, Djokovic found himself at the centre of the conversation. His now-famous goal celebration was widely interpreted as a nod to the protesters’ “Pumpaj” slogan, although he later insisted it was simply a celebration he shared with his children and was not intended as a political message. Ahead of the US Open, however, his comments left little room for doubt.
Warning that Serbia was “literally on the brink of civil war,” Djokovic spoke openly about the growing political tensions in the country. Later that year, he also expressed support for Dijana Hrka, whose son died in the Novi Sad station collapse, after she began a hunger strike outside Parliament demanding accountability.
His repeated support for the student movement came at a cost. Pro-government tabloids and media outlets, many of which had once celebrated him as Serbia’s greatest sporting icon, turned against him.
A mural of Djokovic in Belgrade was vandalised, while he later relocated his family to Greece amid growing political tensions and sustained criticism from pro-government media. Despite the backlash, Djokovic never distanced himself from the students or their calls for accountability.
Throughout the protests, Djokovic was careful to avoid aligning himself with any political party. Instead, he consistently maintained that students had every right to protest peacefully and seek answers from those in power.
His comments and actions have drawn renewed attention as India witnesses its own wave of student protests. Thousands have taken to the streets in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks and concerns surrounding the evaluation system.
The protests began last month after allegations of leaks in the medical entrance examination, an issue that affected around two million aspirants. Demonstrations intensified this week as tens of thousands of students marched towards Parliament in New Delhi. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters, leaving several people injured.
The movement has since spread beyond the national capital. Students have also staged protests in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Goa, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, Jammu and Ahmedabad, maintaining pressure on the government as demands for accountability continue to grow.
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