Moments after easily winning the first round of Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic sent a political message through French cameras and caused a stir. "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence," the 22-time Grand Slam champion wrote on camera in Serbian.
The world number three risked his future in the tournament when he decided to convey a forbidden political message through the platform given to him. Djokovic's comment referred to unrest in Kosovo following the results of last April's election, when 25 NATO soldiers in Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serb protesters.
Novak Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" after his win today at Roland Garros pic.twitter.com/75fSplaVZZ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 29, 2023
"I'm not a politician and I have no intention of getting into a political debate. This issue is very sensitive. As a Serb, everything that happens in Kosovo hurts me a lot," the tennis player explained. "It's the least I could do. I feel the responsibility as a public figure – no matter what field – to provide support. Especially as the son of a person born in Kosovo, I feel the need to support her and Serbia."
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At the moment, none of the tournament organisers have reached out to the Serbian following the incident: "I don't know what's going to happen - I heard there was a lot of objection on social media. Anyway, I would do it again. My position is clear: I am against wars, violence and any kind of conflict, as I have always stated publicly."
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