Djokovic avoids French Open sanctions over Kosovo message
F
rench authorities don’t have any intention of reprimanding Novak Djokovic over probably incendiary feedback within the wake of his first-round win on the French Open yesterday.
Djokovic wrote on the digital camera after a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 victory towards American Aleksandar Kovacevic, “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”
It got here within the wake of fraught week in Kosovo with Serbia having put its army on excessive alert and introduced it was shifting troops to the border.
More than 30 Nato peacekeeping troopers had been injured following clashes with Serb protestors after Nato forces put a protecting ring round 4 city halls in northern Kosovo.
That transfer adopted protests by Serbs within the nation, who make up a fraction of the inhabitants, after ethnic Albanian mayors had been elected into their positions in elections boycotted by the Serbian inhabitants.
In addition, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic mentioned 52 Serbs had been harm in the course of the unrest, three of them severely.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 however Belgrade has refused to recognise its sovereignty.
Following Djokovic’s on-court written feedback, the French tennis federation (FFT) mentioned it might be taking no motion as a result of there have been “no official Grand Slam rules on what players can or cannot say”. It added: “The FFT will not be making any statement or taking any stance on this matter.”
Djokovic was reported as saying by Serbian media: “I am not a politician and I have no intention of getting into political debates. As a Serb, it hurts me a lot what is happening in Kosovo. The least I could do is this, I feel responsible as a public figure and the son of a man who was born in Kosovo.
“I don’t know what the future holds for the Serbian people in Kosovo but it is very necessary to show support. I am against wars and any conflict. I am very sorry that we are in the situation we are in.”