Novak Djokovic tells Der Speigel that he does not regret sending a video message to Belgrade in 2008 when 150,000 of his compatriots were demonstrating against Kosovo's declaration of independence. Djokovic’s message, delivered after he won the Australian Open, said: "We are prepared to defend what is rightfully ours. Kosovo is Serbia."
That night, demonstrators threw stones at the Croatian, Bosnian and German embassies and set fire to the U.S. embassy.
Djokovic’s father was born in Kosovo, as were his uncle and his aunt. The Kosovo Albanians and Serbians dispute which populations have rightful claims on the land. "It is the birthplace of my family and, indeed, of Serbian culture itself," Djokovic said. "I don't regret what I did. We want justice, but we just can't get it."