Andy Murray has come to the defense of Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic is under fire after writing “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! Stop violence” on a camera following his first-round win over Aleksandar Kovacevic at the French Open earlier this week.
The incident came following recent violence in Kosovo after ethnic Albanian mayors were installed in the north of the country — where Serbs are the majority — with police and NATO troops clashing with Serbian protesters.
Kosovo, of course, is a former province — with a majority ethnic Albanian population — that declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
Kosovo's independence is recognized by about 100 countries including the United States. However, Serbia refuses to acknowledge their independence and still recognizes it as part of its own country.
As a result, the Kosovo Tennis Federation and Kosovo Olympic Committee have requested for Djokovic to be sanctioned for stirring up political tension while France's sports minister stated the Serbian superstar's actions were “not appropriate.”
That said, the International Tennis Federation declared Djokovic's statement didn't violate any rules as the Grand Slam rulebook doesn't ban political statements and as far as Murray is concerned, players should be free to say whatever they feel — even in a political context.
“No athlete should be stopped from freedom of speech, I don’t think that’s fair,” Murray told The Telegraph. “You often hear athletes, journalists, and commentators say that sports and politics shouldn’t mix, but they do. When politics have supposedly influenced decisions that have been harmful to sportspeople’s careers they argue sports and politics should not mix. But then they’re more than happy to talk on matters that they agree with.
“In many countries, prime ministers and government officials celebrate athletes’ victories and big wins. They’re always around at sporting events and it is a privilege to be invited to the White House or Downing Street. We have a responsibility as athletes to try and bring people together and not necessarily to divide each other.”
Novak Djokovic has since defeated Marton Fucsovics and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
He faces Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas in the fourth round on Sunday where a win would see him advance to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
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