However, from within the ranks of the elite professionals at Roland Garros, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina backed the men's world No 3, saying that in a free world the Serb should have the right to express his opinion.
Crucially for Djokovic's continued participation in Paris, the International Tennis Federation said expressing his views did not violate any rules because the grand slam rulebook does not ban political statements.
This story is from the June 01, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 01, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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