Novak Djokovic will NOT be sanctioned after controversial anti-Kosovo message

Novak Djokovic will not be penalized for his latest political statement on Kosovo, with French Open leaders saying such commentary from players is ‘understandable’.

However, the French tennis federation also suggested reminding him of the Grand Slam rules, which minimally discourage players from commenting on controversial topics outside the sport.

On Monday after his first round, Djokovic scribbled on the court’s camera lens: ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! Stop the violence.’

His message came amid rising tensions and an outbreak of riots in the area, the independence of which Serbia does not recognize.

A somewhat floaty statement from last night’s French Open made no specific reference to the Wimbledon champion, but referenced rules at the Majors, adding: “Notices will be passed to the teams of all players involved in such matters.”

The authorities are currently effectively paralyzed in carrying out their own regulations due to the amount of questions from the media about the whole situation in Russia and Ukraine.

Any Ukrainian player would break such rules in the current climate, but there are other recent precedents of leniency.

At the Australian Open, Russian Karen Khachanov wrote on camera in support of Armenian claims to Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave of Azerbaijan.

At the same tournament, Djokovic’s father posed in front of a flag with Vladimir Putin’s head on it, along with pro-Russian Serbian fans.

The head of the Kosovo tennis federation called for sanctions against the player, but as there are no players from the area, the chances of that happening are negligible for now.

At this summer’s Wimbledon, Russian and Belarusian players must sign a separate pledge of neutrality as a condition of participation.

That is a case where a violation is likely to have serious consequences for anyone who speaks out for the war.