Novak Djokovic makes political statement about Kosovo after first-round French Open win

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open on Monday in response to violent clashes in Kosovo.

Following his first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia. Stop the violence” in Serbian on a camera lens, using a heart symbol.

The message was displayed on the big screen of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Tensions have been rising in the past week in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. There were clashes with protestors on Monday after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted.

At least 34 soldiers with NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo were injured during the clashes.

Djokovic elaborated on his message in Serbian at a press conference, saying: “This is the least I could have done. I feel the responsibility as a public figure – doesn’t matter in which field – to give support.

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944599

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944626

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944813

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944835

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944854

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944872

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944977

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18944991

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945014

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945034

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945304

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945319

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945330

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945398

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945416

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945435

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945524

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945534

https://www.hoyolab.com/article/18945545

https://paste.toolforge.org/view/7a8727a6

https://dotnetfiddle.net/WJFmyQ

https://controlc.com/f80ef531

http://ben-kiki.org/ypaste/data/76886/index.html

https://pastelink.net/8xu205ol

http://foxsheets.statfoxsports.com/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/134138/Default.aspx

https://onecompiler.com/java/3za5wu9sp

http://phillipsservices.net/UserProfile/tabid/43/userId/225576/Default.aspx

https://profile.hatena.ne.jp/kicepakang29/

https://muckrack.com/kicepakang29-kicepakang29/bio

https://issuu.com/tresnoliane

https://notes.io/qCRAh

https://bitbin.it/LfLNZSbB/

https://www.pastery.net/zgttrc/

https://paste.ee/p/uhb37

https://backlinktool.io/p/RoCj2LHRug5f7OkIUEnU.html

https://justpaste.it/blpwi

http://pastie.org/p/6IVLtUaYWGMPKFMasIOrsu

https://jsitor.com/WMW-45oNyy

https://www.wowace.com/paste/0c876741

https://paste.intergen.online/view/01b045e6

https://jsfiddle.net/0um2exob/

https://yamcode.com/afwafawfawf

https://rentry.co/hgqy7p

http://zacriley.ning.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

http://beterhbo.ning.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/fb872f77

https://paiza.io/projects/fC49ioF77XOGXL-tvJM2xQ

https://ideone.com/E7tkZb

http://playit4ward-sanantonio.ning.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://paste.awesom.eu/6K0C

https://rextester.com/IVY22700

http://beterhbo.ning.com/profiles/blogs/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://ide.geeksforgeeks.org/online-c-compiler/69fef7a8-3331-438f-919a-ec9c89616256

http://paste.jp/50145d0e/

https://etextpad.com/mpvr46igam

http://healingxchange.ning.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

http://pastebin.falz.net/2501508

https://pro.pasteshr.in/pgzgzdgviw

https://www.onfeetnation.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://paste.mozilla.org/1oMRBjQK

https://onlinegdb.com/spQGd6pZB

https://www.onfeetnation.com/profiles/blogs/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://paste.cutelyst.org/roDI4dGrS

https://challonge.com/ih7fq99s

http://pastie.org/p/2DDe2NogtqN74WNjRI24Ri

https://ctxt.io/2/AACQx_udEg

https://vocus.cc/article/64766d42fd8978000168c813

https://www.click4r.com/posts/g/9914213/

https://ok.ru/video/5606661819019

http://www.shadowville.com/board/general-discussions/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement#p590650

https://techplanet.today/post/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo-after-first-round-french-open-win

https://theamberpost.com/post/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo-after-first-round-french-open-win

http://dom-nam.ru/index.php/forum/stroitelnye-kompanii/21006-novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement#39923

http://ptits.net/boards/t/114964/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo-after-first-round-french-open-win.aspx

https://www.bankier.pl/forum/temat_novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo,60800739.html

https://demo.evolutionscript.com/index.php/forum/topic/5864-Novak-Djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-Kosovo-after-first-round-French-Open-win

https://gotartwork.com/Blog/-novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about/166454/

https://kuntal.org/kuntal/blog/view/139953/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo-after-first-round-french-open-win

https://caribbeanfever.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

http://allabouturanch.com/photo/albums/novak-djokovic-makes-political-statement-about-kosovo

https://events.ajc.com/event/16987b084937e3add0685d0adcd0aab3

https://www.deviantart.com/morarisa/art/Screenshot-132-964909156

“Especially as a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to the entirety of Serbia. I don’t know, and I think many others don’t know, what the future brings for Kosovo and for Serbian people, but it’s necessary to show support and demonstrate unity in these kinds of situations. I don’t know what will happen.”

Djokovic’s reference to the “entirety of Serbia” reflects the policy of the Serbian government, which still considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory and has not recognized the country’s independence.

NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) said that recent developments in Kosovo had prompted it to increase its presence in the northern part of the country on Monday.

According to the Italian defense ministry, some KFOR soldiers were injured when protesters threw “Molotov cocktails with nails, firecrackers and stones.”

Reuters reported that Djokovic said he had not been approached by French Open organizers about the message he wrote on the camera lens, a photo of which he also shared on Instagram. CNN has contacted the French Tennis Federation for comment.

“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 36-year-old added.

As a child growing up in Belgrade, Djokovic lived through NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign in 1999, which was intended to end atrocities committed by troops of Yugoslavia’s then-president Slobodan Milošević against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Djokovic is aiming to win his 23rd grand slam title at the French Open, which would move him clear of Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time list.