Novak Djokovic made headlines with his post-match actions after a battle against Aleksandar Kovacevic
Novak Djokovic is unapologetically outspoken(Image: The Associated Press)
Novak Djokovic will face Aleksandar Kovacevic for only the second time in his career on Monday, with their initial encounter generating headlines worldwide.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion first played against his American counterpart in the opening round of the French Open in 2023 – a tournament the Serbian ultimately won. It was a straight-sets triumph for the tennis icon, but it was his actions immediately afterwards that threatened to spark international controversy.
The 38-year-old wrote a message on the video camera in Serbian concerning the situation in Kosovo which stated: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”
Tensions in Kosovo at that time had reached a dangerous level with Serbia placing its military on high alert and declaring its intention to deploy troops to the border. To reduce the strain, prior to Djokovic’s French Open match, security cordons around four town halls in Kosovo were put in place by NATO peacekeeping forces.
The move followed protests from Serbs, who constitute a section of the Kosovo population, after ethnic Albanian mayors were voted into government roles in elections that the Serbian population boycotted.
Although Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Belgrade has maintained its refusal to recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Serbian media quoted Djokovic in his post-match press conference as saying: “I am not a politician and I have no intention of getting into political debates.
Djokovic later doubled down on his message (Image: X)
“As a Serb, it hurts me a lot what is happening in Kosovo. The least I could do is this, I feel responsible as a public figure and the son of a man who was born in Kosovo. I feel the need to show support to all of Serbia.
“I don’t know what the future holds for the Serbian people and Kosovo but it is very necessary to show support. I am against wars and any conflict, I have always expressed this in public. I am very sorry that we are in the situation we are in.
“Kosovo is our hearth, our stronghold, the biggest battle took place there, the most important monasteries are located there.” When questioned about whether he had considered the potential backlash to his actions, Djokovic responded: “Of course I’m aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is.
The 38-year-old is aiming for a sixth Indian Wells title(Image: Getty Images)
“It’s something that I stand for. So that’s all.” Djokovic is currently vying for his sixth Indian Wells title but must first overcome Kovacevic in the round of 32.
After his initial victory over Kamil Majchrzak, the world No. 3 confirmed his ambition to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. He said: “Yeah, it would be nice.
“That’s one of the long-term goals, let’s call it, a way to reach the Olympics. That would be nice. I mentioned it a couple of times in the last year or so.”
