After everything Novak Djokovic has imposed on himself over the past few years, the French Open finally kicked off with the prospect of a drama-free Grand Slam tournament.
But three days into the Open, Djokovic has found himself at the center of a growing international crisis in the Balkans. Serbs and Albanians have been clashing in the Balkans over the past few days in the Kosovo conflict.
The Serbian tennis star scrawled the message “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” on a plexiglass plate over the lens of a television camera on Monday night, and sports officials are either disciplined or muzzled him, or Demanding both, Albanian supporters are calling him. fascist.
“A grand slam without drama, I don’t think it will happen,” Djokovic said Wednesday night after beating Marton Husović. “I think that’s what drives me, too.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion struggled to find his timing early on as the wind picked up as day turned to night. But as the light faded, so did the wind, and Djokovic held on well, beating stablemate Husovic 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3 in 2 hours and 44 minutes. But, as is often the case with Djokovic, what’s happening on the tennis court this week is only part of the story.
The World Health Organization recently declared the end of the COVID-19 health emergency, with the United States ending mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for foreign travelers, and the decision not to vaccinate Djokovic. Discussion ended. He has missed some of tennis’ most important tournaments over the past two years and was detained and deported from Australia last year ahead of the Open Championship.
Rafael Nadal didn’t have to worry about his main nemesis, who missed the 14-time French Open due to injury this year. Djokovic continues his usual march into Week 2 of the tournament, but top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz could pose a problem.
After Djokovic’s first-round match on Monday, like all winners on stadium courts at major tennis tournaments, he picked up a marker to make traditional autographs to courtside television cameras. rice field.
The practice began in the 2000s as a way for players to connect with their fans, giving them the opportunity to send typically hilarious messages like “Bamos!” to television audiences around the world. (“Let’s go!” in Spanish), wish a loved one “Happy Birthday”, or write your child’s name.
In some cases, scribbles express political opinions. A few days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian player Andrei Rublev wrote on his lens plate: “No war please.”
Drawing a heart in his native language, Djokovic wrote the message following a weekend of violent clashes between Serbian protesters and NATO forces who have tried to keep tense peace in the region for 15 years.
About an hour later, in the Serbian portion of the post-match press conference, Djokovic, whose past political statements were riddled with Serbian nationalism, doubled down on his words.
“As I have publicly stated, I am against war, violence and conflict of any kind,” Djokovic said, according to a widely circulated translation. “I sympathize with all, but the situation in Kosovo is a precedent for international law.” There is,” he said.
The statement almost immediately provoked the expected reaction on the polarizing ends of the conflict. Hero-worship from Serbs and outrage from Albanians, who make up the overwhelming majority of Kosovo’s population but are overwhelmingly outnumbered in a few and small villages. City. The group, one orthodox Christian and one Muslim, has been fighting for control of the region for hundreds of years, dating back to the Ottoman era.
Kosovar human rights activist Jeta Shara said in an interview on Tuesday that Djokovic’s remarks represented a “medieval mentality”, comparing it to the thinking that led Russia to invade Ukraine last year.
“It’s terrifying for a man of that height to use sports to impose a fascist mindset,” she said.
The Kosovo Olympic Committee has called on the International Olympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation to take disciplinary action against Djokovic.
Meanwhile, French Open officials chose not to get involved in the dispute. Nothing in the rulebook prohibits players from making political statements. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) said it was “understandable” for players to discuss international events. But French Sports Minister Amelie Oudéa-Castella called Djokovic’s remarks “inappropriate” in a television interview, saying they were “very active” and “very political” and “should never be involved again”. Stated.
Judging by Djokovic’s recent and not-so-recent behavior, that’s not an option, and he said so in his first post-match statement.
“This is the least I could do,” he said in his native language. “As a public figure, I feel a responsibility to provide support in any area.”
For Djokovic, the remark had an even bigger impact. Because the Ukrainian war has gotten so much attention, few outside the Balkans knew how much tensions in Kosovo had risen in the past week, or since Kosovo’s declaration. Independence from Serbia in 2008.
For decades, international military forces have sought to maintain peace in the region. Over 100 countries have recognized Kosovo. Serbia and Russia are not. Serbs living in Kosovo last month boycotted local elections in the Serb-majority north. In their view, this allowed the Albanian candidate to win power.
The five nations that control peacekeeping forces in the region – the US, France, Italy, Germany and the UK – have urged Kosovo’s Albanian leadership not to send security forces to take over the town’s town hall after the elections. bottom. In any case, it made a move to condemn the five countries. Serbs protested the takeover, sparking violent clashes in which 30 NATO peacekeepers, known as KFOR, were wounded.
“Both sides must take full responsibility for what happened and prevent further escalation, rather than hiding behind false narratives,” KFOR mission commander Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia said in a statement. said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic claimed that 52 Serbs were injured in the clashes, three of them seriously. He put the Serb army on high alert and sent troops to the border.
Watching the match unfold from Paris in the run-up to the French Open, Djokovic sought a way to express two emotions: his desire for peace and his belief that Kosovo is part of Serbia. He frequently recounted his traumatic experiences growing up on the battlefield, when a bomb fell not far from his home during the conflict in the Balkans in the 1990s. He said a person who has had such experiences could never stand for war or violence. He used the term in January when his Kosovar-born father was caught on video posing with his son’s fans holding a Russian flag, sparking controversy at the Australian Open.
In 2008, when Djokovic was joining the sport’s elite as a young player, he filmed a video in Belgrade expressing solidarity with demonstrators after Kosovo declared independence.
“Of course, I know a lot of people will disagree,” he said after midnight Wednesday. “But that’s the way it is. That’s what I stand for.”
