Disqualification whirl: Ethics charter could get Djokovic in trouble

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The great outrage after his message about Kosovo hit Novak Djokovic with full force right after his opening Paris victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic (6: 3, 6: 2, 7: 6). At the press conference that followed, the 36-year-old Serb admitted that he was aware of the unrest that had arisen. The words “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia – stop the violence,” he wrote on the camera lens, have led some fans to call for his disqualification.

“I know there is a lot of criticism on social media. I don’t know if I will be punished. But I would do it again,” says Djokovic of his allusion to the Kosovo conflict, in which numerous soldiers from the NATO-led Kosovo protection force Kfor were recently injured in clashes in Serb-populated northern Kosovo.

Violation of the ethical charter

Whether Djokovic actually has to fear consequences is still open. The organizers make it clear that the 22-time Grand Slam winner is in a gray area here. Djokovic himself told Serbian media that he had no intention of starting a political debate. But what is his statement if not political?

The French Tennis Federation (FFT), which hosts the French Open, says there are “no official Grand Slam guidelines on what a player can or can’t say”. And further: “The FFT will not take any further position on this.”

But: depending on how it is interpreted, the FFT’s ethical charter could still get Djokovic into trouble – at least in theory. Because it says that players have a “moral obligation” to “reject any form of violence”. They are therefore prohibited from demonstrating political or religious views.

“Will Talk to Him”

Djokovic’s statement is therefore certainly a conversion – although it will probably not cost him too much. Especially since the hard guidelines are missing and the organizers will be careful not to turn it into a major public scandal. After the cancellation of French Open record winner Rafael Nadal (36) due to an injury, Roland Garros is dependent on superstar draft horses such as Djokovic. Disqualifying the winner of the 2016 and 2021 French Open is probably no big deal.

But despite his appeal for peace, Djokovic’s behavior is sensitive – he will now be subject to closer scrutiny as the tournament progresses. Tournament director and former top player Amélie Mauresmo (43) said on French television: “We will not rush anything. But we will look at it and talk to him about what he really meant by that.”

Djokovic had not commented on the Kosovo conflict for a long time. It is the first time since 2008. At that time, after his Australian Open victory, he said: “We want to show the world that we are ready to defend what is ours. We all know that Serbian history in Kosovo is written. Kosovo is Serbia.”

He recently said in an interview with the “Corriere della Sera” that he would like to go back to Kosovo to baptize his children there. But how hardened the fronts are, is evident from the reaction of Kosovan Sports Minister Hajrulla Ceku (39), who wrote on Twitter about the linked article: “No vaccination, no admission.”

Source : Blick