French Open 2023: Novak Djokovic stands by Kosovo message after criticism

1 year ago 29

The camera lens with Novak Djokovic's connection written connected it

Dates: 28 May-11 June Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
Coverage: Live substance and vigor commentaries of selected matches crossed BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app

Novak Djokovic says helium is "aware radical would disagree" with him penning a governmental connection astir Kosovo connected a French Open camera lens but it is an contented helium "stands for".

Djokovic, 36, wrote "Kosovo is the bosom of Serbia. Stop the violence" aft his first-round triumph connected Monday.

France's sports curate said the Serb's actions were "not appropriate" and should not hap again.

"A drama-free Grand Slam, I don't deliberation it tin hap for me," said Djokovic.

"I conjecture that drives me, arsenic well."

The phrase Djokovic wrote is successful notation to caller hostility successful Kosovo, which declared independency from Serbia successful 2008. Serbia has ne'er recognised Kosovo's independence.

There has been unit successful the past days pursuing the installation of taste Albanian mayors successful the northbound of the country, with constabulary and Nato troops clashing with Serb protesters.

In his post-match quality conference, the 22-time Grand Slam champion attempted to enactment the contention down him.

Asked if helium had thought astir the antagonistic absorption to his actions, Djokovic said: "Of people I'm alert that a batch of radical would disagree, but it is what it is. It's thing that I basal for. So that's all."

After beating Hungary's Marton Fucsovics successful the 2nd circular connected Wednesday, Djokovic marked the lens - which the victor does aft each French Open lucifer - with his signature.

World governing assemblage the International Tennis Federation said Djokovic's connection did not interruption immoderate rules due to the fact that the Grand Slam rulebook does not prohibition governmental statements.

French sports curate Amelie Oudea-Castera said determination needs to beryllium a "principle of neutrality for the tract of play".

Oudea-Castera said she made a favoritism for messages successful enactment for Ukraine successful the look of Russia's invasion, adding that she did not enactment Kosovo and Ukraine "on the aforesaid level".

That includes supporting Ukrainian subordinate Marta Kostyuk, who was booed by the crowd aft she refused to shingle hands with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus connected Sunday.

Belarus is an state of Russia and allowed troops to usage its territory to motorboat past year's penetration of Ukraine.

Djokovic, whose begetter was calved successful Kosovo, said earlier successful the week helium was "against wars, unit and immoderate benignant of conflict" but that the concern successful Kosovo is simply a "precedent successful planetary law".

"Especially arsenic a lad of a antheral calved successful Kosovo, I consciousness the request to springiness my enactment to our radical and to the entirety of Serbia," helium said connected Monday.

"Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the astir important things for our country. There are galore reasons wherefore I wrote that connected the camera.

"Of people it hurts maine precise overmuch arsenic a Serb to spot what is happening successful Kosovo and the mode our radical person been practically expelled from the municipal offices, truthful the slightest I could bash was this."

Kosovo Olympic authorities person asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to unfastened disciplinary proceedings against Djokovic, accusing him of stirring up governmental tension.

Djokovic's connection 'bound to ruffle feathers'

Guy Delauney, BBC News Balkans correspondent

"Kosovo is the bosom of Serbia" mightiness look similar an unusual statement. After all, Kosovo became autarkic successful 2008 - and its geographical determination successful the southbound westbound meant that, adjacent earlier then, it was ever connected the periphery of Serbia.

But its symbolic value remains highly important to galore Serbs. The 1389 Battle of Kosovo has been mythologised arsenic the important lawsuit successful the forging of Serbian identity. And galore of the astir important sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church are wrong modern-day Kosovo.

Serbia is 1 of scores of countries which garbage to recognise Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. And Serbians with household ties to Kosovo are peculiarly keen to guarantee that Serbia's argumentation of non-recognition continues.

It has been a turbulent period for Serbia - with mass shootings and aggregate protests - and ethnic-Serbs successful Kosovo. By penning his courtside message, the country's sporting icon was showing his enactment - but successful a mode which was bound to ruffle feathers.

With his marker pen scribble, Djokovic neatly illustrated the enduring complexity of the situation.