Novak Djokovic accused of spreading ‘Serbian nationalists propaganda’ as Kosovan Olympic Committee demand action from IOC and ITF

Tensions have been on a rise in Kosovo, which gained it's independence from Serbia in 2008.


Novak Djokovic accused of spreading ‘Serbian nationalists propaganda’ as Kosovan Olympic Committee demand action from IOC and ITF

Novak Djokovic (Credits: The Guardian)

22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has landed himself in hot water as his political message on Kosovo has not gone down too well with the Kosovar authorities. The Kosovan Olympic Committee has sought the help of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to take disciplinary action against the 35-year-old Serb.

The incident occurred after Djokovic’s first-round win at the 2023 French Open. After the match got over, Djokovic surprised everyone when he wrote a political message on a TV camera lens at Roland Garros. The message, which was a response to violent clashes in Kosovo, read in Serbian, “Kosovo is the heart symbol of Serbia. Stop the violence.

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This has led to a demand for legal action against Djokovic by KOC President Ismet Krasniqi. In the letter addressed to the IOC, Krasniqi said that Djokovic’s message “breached the fundamental principle of the IOC charter on the point of political neutrality and involved yet another political statement in sport.”

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The KOC President has alleged that Djokovic “yet again promoted the Serbian nationalists’ propaganda” and used the sports platform to do so. For the uninformed, tensions have been on the rise in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, since the past week.

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Novak Djokovic explained his actions as a mere “responsibility as a public figure”

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Credits: New York Times)

During the post-match conference, Djokovic justified his decision to write such a message on a platform as grand as Roland Garros. The Serb said, “This is the least I could have done. I feel the responsibility as a public figure—it doesn’t matter in which field — to give support. Especially as the son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to the entirety of Serbia.”

The 3rd seed breezed past Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6, in the opening round at Roland Garros. With this win, Djokovic has moved on to the next round, where he is set to face a tricky opponent in the form of Marton Fucsovics. However, it would be interesting to see how the latest developments around his comments impact the Serb’s game in the further rounds at the French Open.

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