PARIS – France’s sports minister condemned Novak Djokovic on Wednesday, after he wrote a message saying Kosovo was at the “heart of Serbia” following his opening-round win at Roland Garros.
The Belgrade-born tennis superstar scrawled “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera on Monday in Paris amid clashes between ethnic Albanians and Serbs in the territory.
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told broadcaster France 2 that Djokovic’s message was “not appropriate, clearly”.
“There’s a principle of neutrality for the field of play. When you carry messages about defending human rights, messages that bring people together around universal values, a sportsperson is free to express them.
“But in this case it was a message that is very activist, that is very political. You shouldn’t get involved, especially in the current circumstances, and it shouldn’t happen again,” added Ms Oudea-Castera, the former head of the French tennis federation.
She added that the director of Roland Garros, Amelie Mauresmo, had spoken to Djokovic and his entourage.
With tensions running high, the European Union and other Western countries have called for calm.
International tennis chiefs insisted on Wednesday that “political statements” are not banned at Grand Slam events.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, said it had received a request from the Kosovo Tennis Federation demanding Djokovic be sanctioned over his actions.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina meanwhile, defended Djokovic, saying that in a free world he should have the right to express his opinion.
Djokovic, ranked third in the world, has defended his message.
“Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the most important things for our country,” the Serb, whose father was born in Kosovo, told media.
“Of course it hurts me very much as a Serb to see what is happening in Kosovo and the way our people have been practically expelled from the municipal offices, so the least I could do was this.”
Kosovo Olympic authorities have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to open disciplinary proceedings against Djokovic, accusing the Serb of stirring up political tension. REUTERS
