Novak Djokovic sparked controversy at Roland Garros for writing a political statement appearing to deny Kosovo’s independence.

Writing on the camera lens after his straight-sets win over Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop violence.”

Kosovo — a former province of Serbia, mainly populated by ethnic Albanians — has been Nato-backed since 1999 and declared independence in 2008.

However Serbia has refused to recognise its statehood and tensions betweenthe two regions have flared in recent days, with several injured in violent clashes between Kosovo’s police, Nato-led peacekeepers and local Serbs.

On Monday, dozens of Nato peacekeepers were hurt after shaven-headed Serbian men attacked them at a municipal office in the powder keg north of Kosovo.

After his match, Djokovic told Serbian newspaper Blic that he felt “responsible” to speak out.

“I am not a politician and I have no intention of getting into political debates,” Djokovic said.

“As a Serb, it hurts me a lot what is happening in Kosovo, our people who are expelled from the municipalities. I feel responsible as a public figure and the son of a man who was born in Kosovo, I feel the need to show support to all of Serbia.

There is no rule in either the ATP or the ITF Grand Slam rulebooks which blocks players from making political statements.

But Djokovic told the Serbian press that he “would do it again”, regardless of the consequences.

The Daily Telegraph in London