A French official warned tennis superstar Novak Djokovic on Wednesday about spreading political messages at the French Open following his call to end the violence in Kosovo.
French Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said on France 2 that Djokovic’s message was “not appropriate” and that French Open director Amelie Mauresmo spoke with the Serbian superstar and his entourage to insist on the principle of “neutrality” on the court.
“When it comes to defending human rights and bringing people together around universal values, a sportsperson is free to do so,” Oudea-Castera said, adding that Djokovic’s message was “militant, very political” and “must not be repeated.”
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Djokovic was accused of fueling tensions in Kosovo amid the violent clashes. After defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote a message in Serbian on a camera lens that read, “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”
The message was received by some as voicing support for the ethnic Serbs in Kosovo who clashed with police and NATO peacekeepers this week when demonstrations erupted after newly elected ethnic Albanian officials tried to enter municipal buildings in the northern region.
“The comments made by Novak Djokovic at the end of his Roland Garros match against Aleksandar Kovacevic, his statements at the post-match press conference and his Instagram post are regrettable,” Kosovo Tennis Federation President Jeton Hadergjonaj said in a statement, via Reuters.
“Novak Djokovic was already the author of similar actions in the past. Despite a general message against violence, the statement ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia’ and further statements after the match, made by such a public figure, on the occasion of a worldwide event like the French Open, directly result in raising the level of tension between the two states, Serbia and Kosovo.”
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In a post-match press conference, Djokovic explained that his ties to Kosovo led him to make the statement. He also reiterated his stance against war.
“As a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to entire Serbia,” he told reporters, via Reuters. “My stance is clear: I am against wars, violence and any kind of conflict, as I’ve always stated publicly. I empathize with all people, but the situation with Kosovo is a precedent in international law.”
The International Tennis Federation has not opened a disciplinary case.
“We received a letter from Kosovo which we have answered,” ITF president David Haggerty said. “But essentially we have forwarded their letter to the French federation, to the French Open, it’s their tournament, and to the ATP who have the rules – the two of them together have the rules and regulations for the event.”
Djokovic is set to play Marton Fucsovics on Tuesday afternoon.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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