Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic may be signaling his opposition to a moment in the Olympics opening ceremony that was denounced by conservatives after drag performers reenacted Christ’s “The Last Supper” painting, an event that organizers said was intended to convey the competition’s “inclusive” atmosphere.
X influencer Mario Nawfal spotted Djokovic’s cross necklace which he donned during his opening match against No. 3 ranked Matthew Ebden where he emerged victorious. On Monday the Christian player defeated agnostic champion Rafael Nadal, a showdown that left Djokovic’s fans salivating about the upset. “Before I am an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” the Serbian national has previously said about himself.
At the ripe old age of 37, Djokovic may be competing in his final Olympics since bursting onto the scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is the latest in a long line of athletes who have credited God with their preternatural ability to succeed in their respective sports. After winning his second Masters tournament in May, Scottie Scheffler thanked Christ for giving him the strength to play after his sudden arrest by local officials for a minor traffic violation. Charges were later dropped. The 28-year-old said his friends assured him “victory was secured on the cross,” he told reporters after his win, adding that his faith kept him grounded in the final moments of the tournament. “That’s a pretty special feeling. To know that I’m secure forever, you know, it doesn’t matter if I win this tournament or if I lose this tournament. My identity’s secure forever,” he said.
The Olympics’ opening celebration on Friday was chastised for the inclusion of an anti-Christian celebration by drag performers. More than a dozen performers reenacted the Last Supper scene made famous by Leonardo da Vinci and featured a naked Smurf that appeared to have an erection and a “woman” with a beard, in addition to another biblical mockery. A pyrotechnics display featured a rider on a white horse in a depiction of the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, with the rider signifying death. The display took place in front of the Eifel Tower, the most recognizable monument in France, a country home to more than 40,000,000 Christians.