French Open 2023 Day 4 Recap: Novak Djokovic stands by Kosovo statement; Stan Wawrinka knocked out

Novak Djokovic was the biggest headline-maker on Day 4 of the French Open 2023 as he progressed to the third round of the tournament with a win over Marton Fucsovics. Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Elina Svitolina, Aryna Sabalenka were the other big winners on Day 4, while Stan Wawrinka was knocked out and Jelena Ostapenko suffered a shock loss.

It wasn’t the 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3 victory for Djokovic that made him centre of attraction, once again, but the Kosovo controversy.

After his win on Monday, Djokovic drew attention for writing in Serbian, “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on the lens of a TV camera and then speaking out about the matter at a news conference with reporters from his home country.

Djokovic’s comments about clashes in northern Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and NATO-led peacekeepers led to criticism from all corners including members of France’s government, French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo and the Kosovo tennis federation.

After his second round match, the 22-time Grand Slam winner showed that he was ready to move on as he refused to speak further on the topic but added that the earlier comments reflected his stand.

“Of course I’m aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is. It’s something that I stand for. So that’s all,” Djokovic said.

This sort of thing is not exactly new for Djokovic. He did, after all, miss the Australian Open and US Open in 2022 because he never received shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. When he returned to Australia this year, he faced questions about his father appearing with a group of people waving Russian flags — at least one showing an image of Vladimir Putin — outside the main stadium.

“Drama-free Grand Slam — I don’t think it can happen for me,” Djokovic said Wednesday. “You know, I guess that drives me, as well.”

‘Iron Man’ Djokovic

There were some funny moments as well.

During a changeover after a set against Fucsovics, when Djokovic was changing shirts, the TV cameras zoomed in on an object about the size of a bottle cap that appeared to be taped to his chest. It was not immediately clear what the item was.

Novak Djokovic = @Iron_Man 🤔👀#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/iwFBWRZCCr

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 31, 2023

When a reporter asked him about it, Djokovic avoided a direct answer and instead opted for sarcasm, saying: “When I was a kid I liked Iron Man a lot, so I try to impersonate Iron Man. My team delivers an incredibly efficient nanotechnology to help me deliver my best on the court, so that’s the biggest secret of my career. If it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Tsitsipas and Alcaraz win

Coming to other matches.

Tsitsipas, chasing his first Grand Slam title, made a sluggish start to his campaign against Jiri Vesely but the fifth seed looked back to his best against Roberto Carballes Baena, as he overcame a wobble to beat the Spaniard 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Top seed Alcaraz resumed his quest for a second Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Japan’s Taro Daniel on a windy afternoon to book a third-round date with Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov.

Carlos Alcaraz signs the camera after his win over Taro Daniel:

“J’aime Paris!”

Paris loves you back.

pic.twitter.com/fIwQmFYJ64

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 31, 2023

Svitolina comeback

Three-times quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina downed Australian Storm Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 and the Ukrainian then waded into the debate around Djokovic and said the world number three should have the right to express his opinion.

“If you stand for something, you think that this is the way, you should say,” Svitolina said.

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka later beat compatriot Iryna Shymanovich 7-5, 6-2 but the world number two refused to comment on the war in Ukraine.

The 25-year-old had been urged by her first-round opponent Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine to take a personal stand.

“I’ve got no comments to you,” she told a reporter who asked her specifically to condemn it.

Former champion Jelena Ostapenko had not reached the second week in Paris since 2017 and her disappointing run continued as unseeded American Peyton Stearns prevailed 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in their second-round clash.

Pey Day 🇺🇸@peyton_stearns upsets 2017 champion Ostapenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to secure a first career Slam third round .#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1fhpuWVf3B

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 31, 2023

The feisty Latvian’s exit along with 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova’s defeat by Lesia Tsurenko means holder Iga Swiatek is the only remaining winner of the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in the women’s draw.

World number three Jessica Pegula, hoping to hoist her maiden Grand Slam trophy on the Parisian clay, advanced into the third round after her Italian opponent Camila Giorgi retired after losing the opening set 6-2.

Anna Blinkova dashed French hopes with a stunning 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over fifth seed Caroline Garcia, wrapping up victory on her ninth match point.

Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis came through a rollercoaster clash against 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory and seventh seed Andrey Rublev beat Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Bopanna knocked out

India had a mixed day as Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden were knocked out in Round 1. The Indian pair lost 5-7, 6-7, (5-7) to French duo of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.

Yuki Bhambri & Saketh Myneni beat local wildcards Rinderknech & Couacaud 6-3, 6-2 in Doubles 1st round of French Open. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HSFtjZtmbk

— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) May 31, 2023

Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni advanced to the second round by beating France’s Arthur Rinderknech and Enzo Couacaud 6-3, 6-2, while N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan went down 3-6, 4-6 to Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka and Alexei Popyrin of Australia.

With agencies inputs

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