Serbian world No. 3 Novak Djokovic risked stirring up a political controversy on the French Open on Monday after writing a message about Kosovo following his first-round victory.
“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence,” 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic wrote on a digital camera lens in Serbian.
Around 30 NATO peacekeeping troopers defending three city halls in northern Kosovo had been injured in clashes with Serb protesters Monday, whereas Serbia’s president put the military on the very best degree of fight alert.
The incidents got here a day after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg known as on Kosovo to tone down tensions with Serbia following clashes between Kosovan police and protesters who’re against Albanian mayors taking workplace in ethnic Serbian areas.
Djokovic insisted he doesn’t worry being punished for his probably explosive message.
“Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, center of the most important things for our country,” 36-year-old Djokovic advised Serb media.
“As a public figure but also a son of a man who was born in Kosovo I feel additional responsibility to express my support to our people and Serbia as a whole,” stated Djokovic.
“I hear that there have been many complaints on social media and from worldwide journalists, saying somebody would punish me however I’ve no regret and would do it once more as my stance is obvious.
“But I am against war, violence and conflict of any kind and I have always publicly shown that.”
Djokovic was hailed in his native Serbia.
“A man of his word and integrity. He proved to be one many times over, and repeated it in Paris by doing something that raced the hearts of all Serbs,” commented the Alo tabloid newspaper.
The French tennis federation (FFT), which organizes the occasion, advised Reuters that there have been “no official Grand Slam rules on what players can or cannot say. The FFT will not be making any statement or taking any stance on this matter.”
Djokovic will hope to keep away from one other political distraction at a Grand Slam after he defended his father on the Australian Open in January when a video emerged exhibiting him posing with some followers holding Russian flags amid the battle in Ukraine.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
