Novak Djokovic’s Kosovo statement causes trouble

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera has criticized tennis top star Novak Djokovic’s political statements at the French Open as “inappropriate”.

“It must not be repeated,” said Oudea-Castera France 2Djokovic’s message was “militant” and “very political”.

After winning the first round in Paris, the Serbian Grand Slam record champion wrote on the camera lens that Kosovo was the “heart of Serbia” and added “stop the violence”. The background to the controversial comment is the recent riots in Kosovo, in which around 30 soldiers from the international security force KFOR were injured.

The world tennis association ITF also spoke up on Wednesday and emphasized to the AFP news agency that “political statements” by athletes are not prohibited. The rules of conduct for players at Grand Slam tournaments are the responsibility of the organizers, the ITF stated: “There is no provision in these rules that prohibits political statements by players.”

The world association also confirmed that it had received a letter from the Kosovan tennis association and said it had forwarded it to the “authorities that administer the Grand Slams”.

Djokovic later admitted at a press conference that it was a “sensitive issue”. As a public figure and the son of a father who was born in Kosovo, he feels a special responsibility towards the Serbian people, the 36-year-old said. But he is not a politician and does not want to start a debate, he added.

Djokovic: Kosovo’s NOK demands Bach’s reaction

However, his statements have already become a political issue. The National Olympic Committee of Kosovo asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its President Thomas Bach for a reaction. Djokovic uses the sport’s platform to spread Serbian nationalist propaganda. According to a statement signed by Kosovo’s NOK President Ismet Krasniqi, he is thus violating the Olympic Charter.

Lukas Macek from the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris was not surprised by Djokovic’s tendencies. The tennis player has connections to Serbian nationalist circles and has often spoken in that direction, he told the news agency AFP.