site.btaBelgrade Mural of Tennis Legend Novak Djokovic Defaced Amid His Support for Anti-Government Protests

A mural of a human figure on a wall (graffiti)  in Belgrade, dedicated to tennis legend Novak Djokovic, was defaced with black paint, according to posts on social media on Tuesday. The artwork, created by architect and activist Andrej Josifovski, known as The Pianist, was inspired by a gesture made by Novak during this year's Wimbledon tournament - a motion resembling tyre-pumping - which was interpreted as a show of support for anti-government protests in Serbia.

The graffiti, depicting Djokovic in this distinctive pose, featured the caption: “Pumpaj, pumpaj! Zasto si stao?” (“Pump it, pump it! Why did you stop?”). However, an unknown individual covered it with black paint. The phrase “pumpaj” is part of a song but has also become one of the main slogans of the student protests in the country.

Josifovski, the artist behind the piece, shared photos of the painted-over wall, accusing government supporters of the act of vandalism.

“They could have just erased the words ‘Pumpaj, pumpaj’, but to cross out Novak’s figure - I really don’t understand it. That means they’re willing to erase history, just to stay in power. Incredible!” said The Pianist in a comment to the Serbian newspaper Danas.

Novak Djokovic, the globally celebrated tennis player, has repeatedly expressed support for the anti-government protests in Serbia. He recently announced that he and his family are relocating to Greece. He also moved his tennis tournament to the Greek capital, Athens, after being labelled "a traitor" by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Gazzetta dello Sport reported in September.

In November 2024, a canopy at Novi Sad's train station collapsed killing 16 people. The tragedy triggered the emergence of a student-led protest movement, which analysts have compared to the spirit of the youth uprisings of 1968. Students have been at the forefront of anti-government demonstrations that quickly grew into mass protests. In May, for the first time, they called for early elections. This summer the protests escalated into civil disobedience, clashes with police, and mass arrests.