Novak Djokovic defended his message in comments to Serb media, saying that Kosovo is Serbia's 'cradle, our stronghold'.
Novak Djokovic has been criticised for writing"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" on a camera.PARIS - International tennis chiefs insisted Wednesday that"political statements" are not banned at Grand Slam events after Novak Djokovic controversially wrote"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" on a camera at the French Open.
The International Tennis Federation , the governing body of the sport, said they had received a request from the Kosovo Tennis Federation demanding Djokovic be sanctioned over his actions."Rules for player conduct at a Grand Slam event are governed by the Grand Slam rulebook, administered by the relevant organiser and regulator. There is no provision in this that prohibits political statements," an ITF spokesman told AFP.
"We are living in the free world, so why not say your opinion on something?," said Svitolina, who reached the third round with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Storm Hunter on Wednesday."I mean, if you are with a friend sitting, talking, you're going to say your opinion, he is going to say his opinion. So why not?"
Kosovo, mostly populated by Muslim ethnic Albanians, broke away from the then-Yugoslavia in the late 1990s and declared independence in 2008, in a move that has never been accepted by neighbouring Christian-majority Serbia or its ally Russia.
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