Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic spoke out during the French Open after violent clashes erupted in Kosovo, injuring dozens of NATO peacekeeping troops.
Though Djokovic called for an end to the violence in a written message on a camera lens, his claims that “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” was seen by some as stoking the historic tensions.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized as a separate state by the United States and much of the west. However, Serbia has refused to recognize Kosovo’s statehood, creating simmering instability decades after the bloody conflict of the 1990s.
Tensions boiled over in Kosovo in the past week after ethnic Serbs protested to block recently elected ethnically Albanian mayors from taking office in the northern part of the country, which is a majority Kosovo Serb area.
After his first-round victory at the French Open, Djokovic wrote a message in Serbian on the camera lens which read, “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia. Stop the violence,” using a heart symbol.
Djokovic’s message was also shown on the big screen at the Court Philippe Chatrier.
Speaking to media following his match, Djokovic, whose father was born in Kosovo, said he felt it was his “responsibility as a public figure” to cast his support for the people of Kosovo at this time.
“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,” Djokovic added.
“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.”
Others say his remarks as deeply divisive.
The Tennis Federation of Kosovo accused the tennis star of aggravating the ongoing situation, with federation president Jeton Hadergjonaj saying Djokovic “was already the author of similar actions in the past.”
“Despite a general message against violence, the statement ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia’ and further statements after the match, made by such a public figure, on the occasion of a worldwide event like the French Open, directly result in raising the level of tension between the two states, Serbia and Kosovo,” Hadergjonaj said in his statement, according to Reuters.
Djokovic’s remarks come NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Tuesday the alliance has sent 700 more troops to the country, on top of the 3,800 already stationed there, to help restore calm.
The recent clashes have also led Serbia to put its military on high alert and send more troops to the border with Kosovo.