CNN
 — 

Novak Djokovic’s straight-sets victory over Cameron Norrie in the Italian Open boiled over when the British tennis star hit the back of the world No. 1’s leg with a smash.

The incident occurred at the start of the second set and despite an instant apology from Norrie, Djokovic did not respond well, proceeding to stare down his opponent.

The stare from Djokovic kept going as he walked towards the net before offering a verbal rebuttal to the British No. 1.

“Maybe you could say he didn’t hit me deliberately,” Djokovic told reporters after his 6-3 6-4 win in the round of 16.

“I don’t know if he saw me. I mean … you can always see where the player is positioned on the court.”

Djokovic added that he wasn’t altogether enamored with Norrie’s behavior in general throughout the match.

“It was not so much maybe about that, but it was maybe a combination of things,” said the 35-year-old Djokovic.

“He was doing all the things that we’re allowed. He’s allowed to take a medical timeout. He’s allowed to hit a player. He’s allowed to say ‘come on’ in the face more or less every single point from basically first game.

“Those are the things that we players know in the locker room it’s not fair play, it’s not how we treat each other. But, again, it’s allowed.”

However, Djokovic didn’t let his unhappiness with Norrie impact his form on the court as he eased towards a place in the Italian Open quarterfinals.

“He brought the fire, and I responded to that. I’m not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. I’m going to respond to that,” added the 22-time grand slam winner.

“I got along with Cameron really well all these years that he’s been on the tour. Practised with each other. He’s a very nice guy off the court, so I don’t understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest.”

A representative of Norrie told CNN that the world No. 13 had no comment on Djokovic’s post-game remarks.

CNN
 — 

Ukrainian tennis player Anhelina Kalinina refused to shake hands with Veronika Kudermetova, her Russian opponent, following the former’s victory in the semifinals of the Rome Masters in Italy on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after the match at Foro Italico, Rome, Kalinina said, “We didn’t shake hands because the girl is from Russia basically. It’s no secret why I didn’t shake, because this country actually attacks Ukraine.

“So yeah, this is sport, I understand, but it’s also kind of political thing. So, yeah, it has nothing personal. But in general, yes, it’s not acceptable.”

Kudermetova was asked about her relationship with Kalinina and the influence of “political overtones”, and responded, “I mean, here we’re athletes. We’re here, and we love what we do here. Doesn’t matter from which country you are. We’re athletes and that’s it. We are here to play tennis.”

Kalinina denied the idea that her opponent’s nationality influenced the topsy-turvy nature of the match, describing Kudermetova as “a top player, a very great player. It was about tennis.”

Kalinina, who came into the tournament ranked No.47 in the world compared to Kudermetova at No.12, won in three sets 7-5 5-7 6-2.

The 26-year-old Ukrainian was asked about her family, who are currently living in Kyiv, and revealed a bomb exploded near the tennis academy where her parents work. She also said her grandparents eventually moved away from Nova Kakhovka, her hometown, after an explosion near their house.

In her on-court interview after the match, Kalinina said, “For me it’s also really important for me to win every match, because you know, what Ukraine goes through, I just want to say that I really hope I give a tiny small light and maybe some positive emotions for my country.”

Kalinina will face either Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s final. Rybakina was born in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018.

CNN
 — 

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka following their opening round match at the French Open, leading to boos from some of the crowd.

After Sabalenka secured the 6-3 6-2 win, Kostyuk walked straight over to the umpire to shake her hand and then back to her seat, refusing to meet Sabalenka at the net for the customary handshake.

There were then boos from the crowd at Roland Garros and again as Kostyuk made her way off the court.

Kostyuk, who is from Kyiv, said at January’s Australian Open that she would not shake hands with any Russian or Belarusian opponent with war raging in her country.

Sabalenka fielded some difficult questions in her post-match press conference, including from one reporter who accused her of “twisting it as if Ukrainians hate you” and “avoiding” questions asking her to condemn the war, with Belarus being used as a key staging ground for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Sabalenka said in March that she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“First of all, when I get questions about Ukrainians, they [journalists] ask me: ‘So, you know that they hate you?’ So I’m answering the questions like: ‘If they hate me.’

“About the war situation, I said it many, many times, nobody in this world – Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – supports the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Normal people will never support it.

“Why do we have to go loud [public] and say things, that’s like saying ‘one plus one is two,’ you know, of course we don’t support war. And if you could affect the war in any way, if we could stop it, we would do it, but unfortunately it’s not in our hands.”

Sabalenka later added that she understands why Ukrainian players don’t shake her hand and said Kostyuk didn’t deserve to be booed by the crowd.

Russian and Belarusian players are currently still competing on the tours as neutral athletes without their flag or country displayed.

After winning the ATX Open in Texas in March, Kostyuk also refused to shake hands with beaten Russian opponent Varvara Gracheva.

CNN
 — 

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open on Monday in response to violent clashes in Kosovo.

Following his first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart] of Serbia. Stop the violence” in Serbian on a camera lens, using a heart symbol.

The message was displayed on the big screen of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Tensions have been rising in the past week in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. There were clashes with protestors on Monday after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted.

At least 34 soldiers with NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo were injured during the clashes.

Djokovic elaborated on his message in Serbian at a press conference, saying: “This is the least I could have done. I feel the responsibility as a public figure – doesn’t matter in which field – to give support.

“Especially as a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to the entirety of Serbia. I don’t know, and I think many others don’t know, what the future brings for Kosovo and for Serbian people, but it’s necessary to show support and demonstrate unity in these kinds of situations. I don’t know what will happen.”

Djokovic’s reference to the “entirety of Serbia” reflects the policy of the Serbian government, which still considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory and has not recognized the country’s independence.

NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) said that recent developments in Kosovo had prompted it to increase its presence in the northern part of the country on Monday.

According to the Italian defense ministry, some KFOR soldiers were injured when protesters threw “Molotov cocktails with nails, firecrackers and stones.”

Reuters reported that Djokovic said he had not been approached by French Open organizers about the message he wrote on the camera lens, a photo of which he also shared on Instagram. CNN has contacted the French Tennis Federation for comment.

“My stance is clear: I am against wars, violence and any kind of conflict, as I’ve always stated publicly. I empathize with all people, but the situation with Kosovo is a precedent in international law,” the 36-year-old added.

As a child growing up in Belgrade, Djokovic lived through NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign in 1999, which was intended to end atrocities committed by troops of Yugoslavia’s then-president Slobodan Milošević against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Djokovic is aiming to win his 23rd grand slam title at the French Open, which would move him clear of Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time list.

CNN
 — 

The French Open has already seen a major upset as world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev was knocked out by Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first round on Tuesday.

The world No. 172 showed little sign of nerves by beating Medvedev in a thrilling five-set encounter – 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-4 – in over four hours on court.

Medvedev is certainly not at his best on the surface but was coming into Roland Garros off the back of winning his first clay-court trophy at this year’s Italian Open.

He was widely expected to beat Seyboth Wild – who was making his first main draw appearance at the grand slam – but the Brazilian came out swinging, dominating the match with his powerful forehand in windy conditions.

“I have watched Daniil play for my entire junior career, up until today. Playing on this court against this kind of player and beating him is a dream come true,” Seyboth Wild, 23, said during his on-court interview.

“Walking on court, I just wanted to get to the net as much as possible and use my forehand against his and it worked pretty well.”

After winning the opening set, Seyboth Wild squandered set points in the second which allowed Medvedev to grow into the game.

The Russian then won the third set with ease but continued to struggle with his consistency and was clearly frustrated.

It allowed the Brazilian to recover and take the match into a nail-biting deciding set in which he held his nerve to see out a memorable win on Philippe Chatrier.

After winning match point with another crushing forehand, the beaming Brazilian turned to the crowd in disbelief, before raising his arms aloft.

“It was pretty tough. I started cramping in the second set. I did my best and tried to play my best tennis and it worked,” Seyboth Wild said. “I am really happy with the way I played.”

He will now face either Quentin Halys or Guido Pella in the second round.

CNN
 — 

Elina Svitolina came from behind to beat Storm Hunter at the French Open – just one day after watching husband Gaël Monfils win a mammoth game against Sebastián Báez.

Svitolina dropped the first set against her Australian counterpart 6-2 but stormed back in emphatic fashion winning the last two sets 3-6 1-6 to wrap up the second round win.

Monfils also dropped the opening set when he faced Báez. The Frenchman battled back and eventually won the game in five sets with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 1-6 7-5 victory in a game that lasted three hours and 47 minutes in front of a roaring home crowd.

Monfils’ game going the distance meant that Svitolina’s preparations were slightly more unusual than normal, but this didn’t impact her performance.

“I watched the whole match. I was up until midnight when the match was done and went to bed straight away,” the Ukrainian explained. “Actually was sleeping good. Had a solid seven hours of sleep, which is quite good for the grand slam.

“It gave me actually motivation to go again today. He was there for me today. Made such a big effort to come and support me, especially in a tough day like today. So really it motivated me to fight and not give up and play every point, try to put 100% effort out there,” Svitolina continued.

The pair got married on July 16, 2021, and welcomed their daughter Skaï Monfils in October 2022. Skaï is present at the French Open and Monfils dedicated his win to her. It’s also the first tournament that both mom and dad have been playing after Monfils’ previous struggles with injuries.

“First tournament for us where we are both playing at the same tournament, and Skaï is here with us in Paris as well. It’s really, really special,” Svitolina said after her win.

“So far everything is going well, and we really enjoy our time off the court together, and on the court as well, we try to be focused and play as good as we can.

“Of course, it’s really important to have a team for Skaï, who takes care of her, so then we can focus on tennis. And especially at such a big event with lots of pressure and lots of things going on, it’s important that your mind is calm about your child and then you have 100% head[ing] into the tennis.”

Aside from raising a child and competing in a tennis grand slam, Svitolina also struggles with an inescapable “heaviness” on a day-to-day basis as a result of the war in Ukraine.

“I feel anger. I feel sadness. I feel pain in my heart to see all of that. I have a few Telegram channels where I follow the news of my hometown in Odessa, of all the Ukraine, and they post the news what is happening, when the alarm is on, or where missiles landed, you know, how many missiles were hit by our Ukrainian Army, Air Force,” said the 28-year-old.

“These kind of moments I feel mixture of different feelings, but they are bad feelings. You know, they are anger, they are sadness, just heaviness. It’s like this heaviness that I have on a daily basis, and all Ukrainians have. You cannot escape from this, and this is for the past one-and-a-half years we have that in our life.”

The world No. 192 also touched on how she uses the war as inspiration to fuel her tennis exploits.

“For me, when I step on the court, I just try to think about the fighting spirit that all of us Ukrainians have and how Ukrainians are fighting for their values, for their freedom in Ukraine. And me, I’m fighting here on my own frontline, you know,” Svitolina outlined.

“I cannot be sad. I cannot be distracted in some ways. I’m just going to lose, you know. So that’s why I remember when the war started, I was in Mexico in Monterrey, and I was very, very sad. I almost cried when I entered the court. I had, like, really heaviness in me.

“Then I thought, you know, now each time I step on the court, I’m going to go 100% out and give everything because I’m here to do something for my country. I have a flag next to my name, so I’m fighting for my country, and I’m going to do that each time I step on the court.”

Svitolina will wait to see who she faces in the third round at Roland-Garros while Monfils prepares to take on Holger Rune in the second round.

CNN
 — 

The Kosovan Olympic Committee (KOC) has called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) to take disciplinary action against Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic.

On Monday, Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open in response to violent clashes in Kosovo, writing: “Kosovo is the [heart symbol] of Serbia. Stop the violence” in Serbian.

In a letter written by KOC President Ismet Krasniqi and addressed to the IOC, the KOC said Djokovic’s message “breached the fundamental principle of the IOC charter on the point of political neutrality and involved yet another political statement in sport.”

CNN has reached out to Djokovic’s representation for comment.

The KOC claimed Djokovic “yet again promoted the Serbian nationalists propaganda and used the sport platform to do so,” thereby raising “the level of tension and violence between the two countries, Kosovo and Serbia.”

Tensions have been rising in the past week in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. There were clashes with protestors on Monday after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted.

Djokovic elaborated on his message in Serbian at a press conference this week, saying: “This is the least I could have done. I feel the responsibility as a public figure – doesn’t matter in which field – to give support.

“Especially as a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to the entirety of Serbia. I don’t know, and I think many others don’t know, what the future brings for Kosovo and for Serbian people, but it’s necessary to show support and demonstrate unity in these kinds of situations.”

Djokovic’s reference to the “entirety of Serbia” reflects the policy of the Serbian government, which still considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory and has not recognized the country’s independence.

Krasniqi warned that, if no action was taken against Djokovic, it “sets a dangerous precedent that sport can be used as a platform for political messages.”

He added: “I respectfully urge that IOC reacts within its framework and requests to the ITF to follow the principles regulated by the Olympic Charter and investigate on this matter by opening a disciplinary proceedings against the athlete.”

In a statement sent to CNN, an ITF spokesperson said: “We have received and acknowledged a letter from the Kosovo Tennis Federation and have forwarded it to the relevant Grand Slam authority.

“Rules for player conduct at a Grand Slam event are governed by the Grand Slam rulebook, administered by the relevant organiser and regulator. There is no provision in this that prohibits political statements.”

The IOC told CNN that the French Open is run by the relevant grand slam authority and governed by their rules.

“Only during the Olympic Games the players are under the authority of the IOC,” it said.

Djokovic plays in the second round of the French Open against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on Wednesday.

CNN
 — 

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka did not participate in a customary post-match press conference after her third-round win at the French Open on Friday, saying she didn’t feel safe when participating in a press conference held earlier this week.

On Wednesday, after winning in the second round of the tournament, the Belarusian had been repeatedly asked in a press conference to comment on the war in Ukraine and Belarus’ role, but she repeatedly declined to do so. This continued until the moderator halted the line of questioning.

“After my match I spoke with the media like I normally do,” Sabalenka said Friday. “I know they still expect some questions that are more about the politics and not so much about my tennis.

“For many months now I have answered these questions at tournaments and been very clear in my feelings and my thoughts.

“These questions do not bother me after my matches. I know that I have to provide answers to the media on things not related to my tennis or my matches, but on Wednesday I did not feel safe in press conference.

“I should be able to feel safe when I do interviews with the journalists after my matches. For my own mental health and well-being, I have decided to take myself out of this situation today, and the tournament has supported me in this decision.

“It hasn’t been an easy few days, and now my focus is continue to play well here in Paris.”

Instead of doing a press conference Friday, Sabalenka’s comments are from an interview released by tournament organizers at Roland Garros in Paris, according to Reuters. Normally, press conferences by players are required.

Reuters also reported that French Open organizers said that they want to “protect” Sabalenka and that whether she attends other post-match press conferences will be her decision.

CNN has reached out to the French Tennis Federation, the organizers of the French Open, for comment.

In 2021, Naomi Osaka of Japan sparked headlines and debate when she had announced she wouldn’t participate in press conferences during the French Open, citing her mental health. She later withdrew during the tournament, before her second-round match.

Sabalenka has already fielded some difficult questions in press conferences at Roland Garros, including from one reporter who accused her of “twisting it as if Ukrainians hate you” and “avoiding” questions asking her to condemn the war, with Belarus being used as a key staging ground for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Sabalenka said in March that she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“About the war situation, I said it many, many times, nobody in this world – Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – supports the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Normal people will never support it,” she said.

Russian and Belarusian players are currently still competing on the tours as neutral athletes without their flag or country displayed.

CNN
 — 

Tennis player Elina Svitolina called her opponent, Russian Daria Kasatkina, a “brave one” following the Ukrainian’s upset win on Sunday.

Svitolina, who previously said she would not shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents out of respect for the men and women defending Ukraine, told reporters that she “acknowledged” Kasatkina after the match.

Kasatkina has been outspoken in her criticism of the war, describing it last year as a “nightmare,” according to the New York Times.

Last month, Kasatkina, Russia’s top-ranked female tennis player, also expressed her sympathy for Ukrainian tennis players who refuse to shake her hand after matches.

“Really thankful for her position that she took. She’s [a] really brave person to say it publicly, that not so many players did,” Svitolina said, after advancing to the quarterfinals of the French Open.

“She’s a brave one.”

Instead of a hand shake, Kasatkina gave her opponent a thumbs up at the net after losing the match 6-4 7-6 (7-5). She later said she was disappointed to hear boos from some members of the crowd.

“Leaving Paris with a very bitter feeling. All this days, after every match I’ve played in Paris I always appreciate and thanked crowd for support and being there for the players,” Kasatkina tweeted Monday.

“But yesterday I was booed for just being respectful on my opponent’s position not to shake hands.

“Me and Elina showed respect to each other after a tough match but leaving the court like that was the worse part of yesterday. Be better, love each other. Don’t spread hate. Try to make this world better.”

Kasatkina, who last year announced she was gay and criticized Russia’s attitudes towards homosexuality, has maintained her stance against the war in Ukraine.

“The saddest part is the war still going on,” the 26-year-old said last month. “So of course, players from Ukraine have got a lot of reasons to not shake our hands. I accept it and it is how it is. It’s a very sad situation and I understand.”

Playing in her first major since the 2022 Australian Open and first since becoming a mother, Svitolina said she was just focused on recovery and preparing for her next match.

“Of course I would love to win here,” Svitolina said. “It will be the dream, but it’s always been in my career like step by step.

“I think this is the only right way to do, to not look too much into the future, because otherwise you lose your focus from the small things that brings you to win the matches.”

Svitolina will play Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the next round on Tuesday.

World No. 2 Sabalenka stopped participating in customary post-match press conferences at the tournament after saying she didn’t feel safe at a previous press conference where she was questioned about her country’s involvement in the war.

Sabalenka said in March that she struggled to understand the “hate” she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following the invasion of Ukraine – Belarus is being used as a key staging ground for Russia.

“About the war situation, I said it many, many times, nobody in this world – Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – supports the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Normal people will never support it,” she said.

Russian and Belarusian players are currently still competing on the tours as neutral athletes without their flag or country displayed.

CNN
 — 

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina said that she was unsure why Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka waited at the net for a handshake after their French Open match.

With the war in her home country ongoing, Svitolina has declined to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players since returning to tennis following the birth of her first child last year.

But Sabalenka, who progressed to the semifinals at Roland Garros with a 6-4 6-4 victory on Tuesday, waited at the net to acknowledge Svitolina.

“I don’t know, to be fair, what she was waiting [for], because my statements were clear enough about the handshake,” the former world No. 3 told reporters.

She added: “My initial reaction, I don’t know, was like, what are you doing? Because, yeah, all my press conference I say my clear position. So I don’t know.”

Sabalenka faced a similar scenario against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the French Open first round, when her opponent also left the court without a handshake.

After her third and fourth-round matches, Sabalenka stopped participating in customary post-match press conferences, saying that she didn’t feel safe safe when she attended one last Wednesday.

However, she attended a regular press conference after the quarterfinal and said that she waited at the net out of “instinct.”

The world No. 2 also reiterated her stance against the war in Ukraine and said that she has always respected the press conference format.

“I’m always open in my answers,” Sabalenka told reporters. “I really felt bad not coming here. I couldn’t sleep. Like all those bad feelings was in my head, I couldn’t fall asleep.

“I felt really bad not coming here. I really respect all of you guys. Thank you so much for coming here, for being interested in me.”

Asked whether Sabalenka had inflamed the handshake situation by waiting at the net, Svitolina said: “Yeah, I think so, unfortunately.”

Despite her time away from tennis, the 28-year-old Svitolina enjoyed a strong run at the French Open after winning her 17th WTA title in Strasbourg ahead of the tournament.

She managed to go toe-to-toe with Sabalenka on Court Philippe-Chatrier for much of the first set and broke at the start of the second set as she looked to mount a comeback.

But Sabalenka’s power game from the baseline ultimately overwhelmed Svitolina as she secured two breaks of serve to win in straight sets.

The Australian Open champion finished the match with 30 winners to Svitolina’s seven and will next face Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova on Thursday for a place in the French Open final.