DJOKOVIC BACK IN ACTION AT FRENCH OPEN AFTER KOSOVO CONTROVERSY

PARIS: Novak Djokovic will take to Court Philippe Chatrier in Wednesday’s French Open night session under fire for his recent comments about clashes in Kosovo, after world number one Carlos Alcaraz also plays in the second round.

Djokovic, who is chasing a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, scrawled the message “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera following his first-round match.

The 36-year-old faces Hungarian Marton Fucsovics for a place in the last 32 but the focus has been on his political views, with the French sports minister on Wednesday condemning the two-time Roland

Garros champion.

“It was a message that is very activist, that is very political,” Amelie Oudea-castera told broadcaster France 2.

“You shouldn’t get involved, especially in the current circumstances, and it shouldn’t happen again.”

She added that tournament director Amelie Mauresmo had spoken to Djokovic and his entourage.

But the International Tennis Federation said there was “no provision” in Grand Slam rules “that prohibits political statements”.

Thirty peacekeepers from a NATO-LED force in Kosovo were injured in clashes with ethnic Serb demonstrators on Monday during protests about the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo.

“Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the most important things for our country... There are many reasons why I wrote that on the camera,” Djokovic told Serb media after writing his message.

Ukrainian former women’s world number three Elina Svitolina thinks Djokovic should be free to express his opinions.

“We are living in the free world, so why not say your opinion on something?,” said Svitolina.

Djokovic will be hoping for less drama on the court against an opponent he has beaten four times in as many meetings.

He has not failed to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since the 2017 Australian Open. Tsitsipas eases through In Wednesday’s early action, Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised into the third round with a straight-sets win over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

The Greek fifth seed, the runnerup to Djokovic in 2021, claimed a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 win on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“I am very much in when it comes to breaking records,” said Tsitsipas after notching his 20th win at the French Open.

“I get excited when I see personal records being kind of set and broken.”

Tsitsipas will next face either Argentinian Diego Schwartzman or Portugal’s Nuno Borges for a place in the second week.

Svitolina battled back from a break and a set down to beat Storm Hunter, just 12 hours after her husband Gael Monfils’ late-night escape act.

Svitolina, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open, downed qualifier Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Home favourite Monfils claimed his first win in nine months in a five-set first-round thriller against Sebastian Baez which finished after midnight in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“Yes, I watched him, but not live. I was screaming in my room so if someone heard me, it was me cheering for Gael,” said Svitolina, who was being supported on Court Simonne Mathieu by Monfils.

Svitolina will next play Russian Anna Blinkova in a politicallycharged rematch of last weekend’s Strasbourg final, won by the Ukrainian who then did not shake her opponent’s hand.

Blinkova needed nine match points to beat French fifth seed Caroline Garcia 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a dramatic encounter.

American third seed Jessica Pegula booked her spot in the last 32 when opponent Camila Giorgi retired injured after losing the first set 6-2.