Djokovic must abstain from political messages, minister says

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said Wednesday that Novak Djokovic’s political message about Kosovo was “not appropriate” and warned the former top-ranked Serb player he should not say it again.

On TV station France 2, OudeaCastera said French Open director Amelie Mauresmo spoke with Djokovic and his entourage to insist on the principle of “neutrality” on the field of play.

“When it comes to defending human rights and bringing people together around universal values, a sportsperson is free to do so,” she said. But Oudea-Castera added Djokovic’s message was “militant, very political” and “must not be repeated.”

Djokovic has drawn criticism from Kosovo’s tennis federation after offering his thoughts on clashes in northern Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and police and NATO peacekeepers.

After a first-round victory in Paris on Monday, Djokovic wrote in Serbian on the lens of a courtside TV camera: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”

Kosovo’s tennis federation said Tuesday Djokovic’s comments were “deplorable” because he was stoking tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

The International Tennis Federation has not opened a disciplinary case.

“We received a letter from Kosovo, which we have answered,” said ITF president David Haggerty. “But essentially we have forwarded their letter to the French federation, to the French Open, it’s their tournament, and to the ATP who have the rules — the two of them together have the rules and regulations for the event.”

A former province of Serbia, Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence is not recognized by Belgrade. Ethnic Albanians make up most of the population, but Kosovo has a restive Serb minority in the north of the country bordering Serbia.

Speaking to reporters in Serbian, Djokovic, who has won 33 Grand Slam titles, said Monday he thought what he wrote on the TV camera was “the least I could do. I feel responsibility as a public figure ... as well as a son of a man who was born in Kosovo.”

Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina was asked about the issue Wednesday after her second-round victory. She has spoken out about Russia’s invasion of her country, and said athletes should be able to express opinions.

“Well, we are living in the free world, so why not to say your opinion on something? I feel like, if you stand for something, you think that this is the way, you should say (it),” said Svitolina, who also acknowledged, “I don’t know the politics of Serbia.”

Shapovalov advances

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov has advanced to the third round at the French Open tennis tournament for the first time with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.

To go any further, he’ll need to get past world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Later Wednesday, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was defeated 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 by Denmark’s Clara Tauson in a women’s second-round match.

Shapovalov, the men’s No. 26 seed from Richmond Hill, lost serve just once on the only break point he faced Wednesday while scoring five breaks on 16 chances in a match that lasted two hours and 55 minutes. That set up Shapovalov’s first career meeting with Alcaraz, who beat Japan’s Taro Daniel, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

In first-round women’s doubles play, the eighth-seeded team of Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani defeated Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Germany’s Tatjana Maria, 6-2, 6-2.