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Novak Djokovic has been facing heat from Serbian media following his relocation out of the country in favor of settling in Athens, Greece. The news, while unexpected, is rumored to be because of the backlash the Serb is facing for supporting the protesters, who are raising their voice against President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.Following his official relocation, a mural of Djokovic was reportedly defaced with black paint in Belgrade. Djokovic's former rival, Andy Roddick, recently chimed in on the development, calling such treatment of Serbia's biggest star "sad" while acknowledging Djokovic's always-ready attitude for representing the country on big stages."For what he’s done, he’s created a legacy of tennis in his country that’s new and changing, and he’s defined so much of the culture, especially the sporting culture there," Roddick said (36:00)."It’s sad to see it. It stinks. I’m sure he’s not crazy about it. He’s also always shown up and played for Serbia -- Olympics, Davis Cup -- when he hasn’t had to. No one would, at this age. No one would blame him for not showing up for Davis Cup for the last 10 years, and he has."Roddick said the above things after he shared an understanding of why Djokovic might have considered moving to Greece in the first place."We know that we probably won’t see him on tour three years from now," Roddick said. "And also, it’s like, 'Okay, I know I might have a year or two left, and I’m going to uproot my entire family, move schools, and move to a new place in the middle of this kind of sunset of my career because I believe something, and because it’s controversial.'"Andy Roddick compares Novak Djokovic's legacy in Serbia with Michael Jordan's in USOn the professional front, Novak Djokovic has done a lot for his country. Coming from the suburbs of Belgrade, Serbia, Djokovic has inspired millions of tennis stars across the world by winning 24-time Grand Slam titles and making a name for himself right beside the legendary duo of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.Coming from a historically war-torn country like Serbia, it's easy to understand why Andy Roddick showed massive respect to Djokovic by comparing him to Michael Jordan's legacy in the US and Pelé in Brazil."If I’m Serbian, I mean, this guy’s on the short list of all time," Roddick said. "I think of Pelé in Brazil, right? I think of Michael Jordan in this country. He’s the biggest thing that’s ever existed in his country, and he’s more closely tied with his nation than anyone else."With Djokovic settling in Athens, there continues to be a debate on whether he should have left Serbia.
