"I'm not trying to get involved in politics; this was my quest to support my country" - When Novak Djokovic addressed his 'Kosovo is Serbia' speech
Novak Djokovic once clarified the intent behind his controversial speech in support of Serbians protesting against Kosovo's call for independence.
In February 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia, setting up the Republic of Kosovo, but Serbia disputed the declaration, receiving backing from Russia.
Subsequently, protests broke out across Serbia, including a gathering of approximately 2,000 Serbs at the United States embassy in Belgrade, where riot police was forced to intervene after protesters threw stones and firecrackers at the building.
Novak Djokovic, who was out of the country at the time, lent his support to his compatriots, declaring that "Kosovo is Serbia" in a speech.
"All of us know how much Kosovo was and is important in history of Serbia, and therefore I want to say thank you for all of you who came to this protest. To all of you who came to send this picture to the world: picture which shows that we are not small, that we are united, and that we are ready to defend what is ours," he said.
"I am very sorry because of my absence, because I'm not with you today, but I would like to say that both, my family and I, are with Kosovo, with full heart. All of this is very hard for me, because all of us know that Serbian history was written at Kosovo. Kosovo is Serbia. And that should remain like that forever," Djokovic added.
Djokovic's statement stirred controversy, especially since Serbian swimmer Milorad Cavic was banned from individual events at the European championships for wearing a T-shirt with the same slogan 'Kosovo is Serbia.'
After beating Mardy Fish 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the Pacific Life Open final (now known as the Indian Wells Masters), the Serb addressed the controversy, revealing that he didn't receive any negative feedback on his speech.
"No, I still haven't got any negative comments on that. Of course, my life is tennis, my life is sport. This is my job. This is what I do, and this is what I try to keep focused on," Djokovic said in his post-match press conference.
"I know that the people obviously look at me as a very successful athlete and the man who can bring up a lot of positive energy to their country," he added.
Djokovic clarified that while he had no intention of getting involved in politics, his speech was motivated by his desire to support his country, given his ties to Kosovo.
"This is what I do, but as I said before, I'm not trying to get involved in politics, and this is -- period. This is the final sentence from me. And even though I'm young, I gave that speech, because I felt at that moment very bad and very disappointed in what's going on in our country," he said.
"And the people who know my past and they understand what I'm saying, my father and my aunt, my uncle, they all grew up there, they were born in Kosovo, and my family used to live there for 30 years. I was there many times. So it kind of touched me in that moment that this was my quest to give support to my country," the Serb added.
Novak Djokovic on what his success means for Serbia: "Professional athletes are one of the biggest ambassadors of their country"
Novak Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final.
During his press conference at the Pacific Life Open, Djokovic shed light on what his success meant for Serbia, especially amidst the immense economic and political turmoil his country was going through.
"It does a lot. You know, I think professional athletes all over the world represent their country, are one of the biggest ambassadors of their country, and, of course, considering the fact that our country is in very difficult position," Djokovic said.
"They're struggling economically, in economics and in politics, as well, but this is something that I don't want to get involved in, and I just, from my side, try to help my country as much as I can," he added.
Novak Djokovic has incited controversy with his stance on Kosovo more recently as well, facing backlash for writing the message, "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! Stop violence" on the camera after his first-round win at the 2023 French Open.