The current world number 3 ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic didn’t find a warm reception from fans at Court Philippe Chatrier during last weekend’s encounter in his quest to reach the fourth round of the French Open for the 14th consecutive year.
The Serbian tennis star had to fight off two sets of challenges, the first and utmost in Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. At the same time, the second was the Roland Garros crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier, who jeered and booed him for seemingly no reason.
Djokovic saw the contest through with a 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) 6-2 victory, but that wasn’t the event’s highlight. The Serb had to face the three-hour-and-36-minute contest, the longest three-set Grand Slam match of his career get irked by the boos from the French Open spectators. The sounds jeered the Serb for most of, if not all, through his straight-sets victory over Fokina.
But truthfully, there’s always been an incident with an intro. Djokovic scribbled on the camera that ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia’ after his match the previous Monday.
It was a nod to how his native Serbia has never formally accepted Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008, despite being recognized by 100 countries and the ITF.
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Djokovic’s reaction has irked a bunch of public political figures. Kosovo’s head of the Olympic Committee, Ismet Krasniqi, said Djokovic was promoting nationalist propaganda and used his sporting platform to do so in his quote. He added: ‘The statements made without any remorse directly resulted in raising the level of tension and violence between the nations.’
French minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told French TV: ‘This message is very activist, very political. You shouldn’t get involved, especially in the current circumstances, and it shouldn’t happen again.’
Djokovic, on his part, did blast the ‘disrespectful’ booing from the French Open crowd. He looked displeased by the reaction but brushed it off. At some point, he gave spectators a sarcastic round of applause and a thumbs-up, mocking his tormentors by mimicking their boos and nodding his head in weary acceptance.
While granting ESPN an interview, the Serb tennis star said, “A majority of the people come to enjoy tennis or support one or the other player,’ Djokovic said following his match.
But they are individuals. There are people — groups or whatever — that love to boo everything you do. I find that disrespectful, and I frankly don’t understand that.”
But it’s their right. They paid for the ticket. They can do whatever they want.'”
Djokovic expressed his emotions during play by roaring and fist-pumping, which didn’t endear him to the French crowd, who made some unfriendly noise. The 36-year-old Djokovic is a polarising figure in world tennis. If I were to be asked, I’d say that he is on the verge of becoming the most successful male tennis player in the sport’s history over the next fortnight, currently levelled with French Open titan Rafael Nadal.
Yes, we live in a free world where you can say your opinion but emotions shouldn’t fly out of the window when meddling in delicate matters; it is rather wise to emphasise the principle of political neutrality.
