Image: Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP
Tennis star Novak Djokovic took the first step towards the sole Grand Slam title record at the French Open. The 36-year-old defeated the American Aleksander Kovacevic 6:3.6:2.7:6(1) in Paris on Monday and reached the second round.
However, a political message from the Serb after the start of the first round provided more topics of conversation: the 22-time Grand Slam winner made a political statement. On a camera lens he wrote: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia – stop the violence.” The Serb is alluding to the Kosovo conflict. On Monday, numerous soldiers of the NATO-led Kosovo Protection Force KFOR were injured in clashes in the Serb-inhabited north of Kosovo.
The reactions on the net to the superstar’s message range from unreserved approval to outrage and even calls for disqualification because the political message would not have belonged on the tennis court. After the criticism, Djokovic, whose father was born in Kosovo, also spoke to Serbian journalists a little later. “I am not a politician and I have no bad intentions. I know it’s tricky. It just hurts me what is happening.”
He was asked whether he feared sanctions from the organizers. “I don’t know,” Djokovic said dryly: “But I would do it again at any time.” Even at the risk of actually having to expect a penalty. Especially since, according to the Roland Garros statutes, political and religious messages are not permitted.
Source: Nachrichten
