Serbian Tennis Player Dejana Radanovic Faces Backlash Over Critical Remarks on India

Serbian tennis player Dejana Radanovic has sparked controversy after making critical comments about her recent stay in India. Radanovic, ranked world No. 245 in women’s tennis, took to Instagram to express her dissatisfaction with aspects of Indian culture.

During her three-week visit to India for ITF tournaments, Radanovic voiced her displeasure with the food, traffic, and hygiene in the country. She specifically mentioned issues like worms in the food, yellow pillows, and dirty bed linen at her hotel.

Radanovic also warned against drinking tap water and consuming fruits in India, citing a past experience of food poisoning that left her with a high fever for four days. She claimed that she struggled to find unpeeled fruits at her hotel and was uncomfortable purchasing whole fruits from street vendors.

Upon leaving India, Radanovic posted a series of Instagram Stories saying, ‘Adios India. See you never ever ever ever ever EVER again.’ Her remarks took a particularly contentious turn when she arrived in Germany and wrote, ‘Hello civilization.’

Despite facing backlash for her comments, Radanovic defended herself against accusations of racism. She argued that disliking certain aspects of a country does not equate to racism and that her posts were simply about her personal dislikes.

Many social media users criticized Radanovic for what they perceived as racist undertones in her remarks, especially when she implied that India was uncivilized. The tennis player also faced calls to disclose the name of the hotel that did not provide her with satisfactory amenities.

As the controversy continues to unfold, Radanovic maintained that she appreciated the people of India while standing by her criticisms of certain cultural aspects. The incident has drawn attention to the complexities of cultural perceptions and the challenges of navigating cross-cultural experiences in the world of professional sports.