Worms in food, yellow pillows': Serbian tennis player Dejana Radanovic criticises India, fans call her 'racist'

Radanovic lost to Vadehi Chaudhari in Qualifiers of Mumbai Open 2024.

Dejana Radanovic, a Serbian tennis player ranked 245th in the world, has stirred up a storm of controversy with her derogatory posts about India on Instagram. The 27-year-old, who had been in India for three weeks to participate in ITF tournaments, expressed her disdain for the country’s food, traffic, hygiene, and culture in a series of Instagram Stories.

Radanovic who gave Walkover to Vaidehi Chaudhari, an Indian player, in the qualifiers of the Mumbai Open, wrote that she did not like India as a country, and complained about worms in the food, yellow pillows and dirty bed linen in the hotel, and the lack of traffic rules. She also warned tourists not to drink tap water or eat fruits in India, claiming that she had suffered from food poisoning and fever after doing so in the past. She bid farewell to India with a harsh message: “Adios India. See you never again.”

Her posts did not stop there. After reaching Germany, she posted another story with the caption: “Hello civilization.” She also defended herself against accusations of racism, saying that she was entitled to her opinion and that not liking certain aspects of a country did not make her a racist. She added that 95% of foreigners who visit India cannot adapt to “that kind of life.” She did, however, say that she liked the people of India.

Radanovic’s posts sparked a huge backlash on social media, with many users calling her out for her insensitive and ignorant remarks. Some asked her to name the hotel that provided her with such poor service, while others pointed out the irony of her calling India uncivilized while being disrespectful to its culture and diversity. Some also questioned her professionalism and sportsmanship, as she had failed to win any matches during her stay in India.

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