Djokovic is aiming for his 23rd Grand Slam victory at the French Open, which would put him alone at the top of the all-time record.
Serbian Novak Djokovic has hit the headlines again.
In tennis, he beat the United States in the opening round of the French Open by Aleksandar Kovacevic, after which he grabbed a pen and wrote on the camera lens “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence”.
The salute drawn by the winner on the lens is a common practice in tennis. However, Djokovic’s message was exceptionally fiery.
Kosovo became independent from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia and Russia have not recognized Kosovo’s independence. Russia has blocked the country’s membership in the UN, and Serbia still considers it a part of it.
– Kosovo is our cradle, our fortress and the center of our country’s most important issues, Djokovic justified his writing according to Reuters.
The Serbian will hardly be punished for his rapture.
– The official Grand Slam rules do not define what a player can say. We do not take a position or comment on the matter, the French Tennis Federation announced.
A tense situation
Unrest has recently increased in Kosovo. Some of the Serbs in Kosovo oppose the newly elected Albanian mayors in the Serbian areas. The protests have led to clashes with the police.
On Friday, the president of Serbia Aleksandr Vucic ordered the army on full alert and moved units closer to Kosovo.
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg called on Kosovo on Sunday to curb tensions with Serbia.
About 25 NATO peacekeepers were injured Monday while defending three city halls from pro-Serb protesters. The President of Kosovo put the army on the highest alert.
According to Serbian President Vucic, dozens of Serbs were injured in the unrest. President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani again accuses Vucic of destabilizing his country.
Uproar and victories
It’s not the first time Djokovic has been in the middle of an uproar. In January, her father posed at the Australian Open with a man who displayed the Russian flag and the z symbol supporting the war of aggression.
The Serbian star has also caused confusion with, for example, his anti-vaccine statements.
With the French Open championship, Djokovic has the chance to become the only one to 23 Grand Slam tournament victories. Djokovic and the king of mass courts With Rafael Nadal both have 22 wins, but Nadal has to miss his favorite tournament due to injury.
Djokovic (ATP-3), ranked third in the tournament, will next face Hungary, ranked 83rd in the ATP rankings by Martin Fucsovics.