Novak Djokovic pays tribute to slain Serbians following Kosovo church shootout

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic recently paid homage to his compatriots who were killed during a conflict with the Kosovo police in a Serbian Orthodox monastery.

Earlier on Monday (September 25), three gunmen who are believed to be Serbian stormed into the village of Banjska in Kosovo. They soon barricaded themselves into a Serbian Orthodox church, leading to gunfire between them and the local police.

Three days later, the Kosovo police were able to kill all three of the gunmen, losing one policeman in the process. Kosovo, meanwhile, declared September 27 a national day of mourning following the conflict.

The Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade subsequently organized a candle-light vigil for the slain armed group. An Instagram page named "Srpskacast" posted the photos from the event on their Instagram handle earlier on Wednesday (September 27).

"In the temple of St. Sava in Belgrade tonight there is a candle lighting for the rest of the souls of murdered Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," the caption of the post read.

A screen-capture of the Instagram post showcasing the candlelight vigil

The post was re-amplified by Novak Djokovic on his Instagram stories on Thursday (September 28). He put three praying emojis in tribute to the fallen Serbians.

A screen capture of the 24-time Major winner's Instagram story

Novak Djokovic will likely next play at 2023 Paris Masters in late October

Novak Djokovic poses with the 2023 US Open trophy

Novak Djokovic disclosed earlier this month that he will not be playing in the 2023 edition of the Shanghai Masters, a tournament that he has won four times. The Serb has other goals this season, and winning the 2023 Davis Cup title for his country will certainly be an important one.

The 36-year-old will most likely next play at both the 2023 Paris Masters and the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals before taking on national duty at the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage in November.

The 24-time Major winner guided his home country to their first-ever Davis Cup title back in 2010. Serbia contested one more final at the 123-year-old team event in 2013, where they came up short to Czech Republic.

Djokovic has put together a flawless season in 2023, winning 46 of his 51 matches on the ATP tour. The World No. 1 has won five titles this year — the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Open, the Cincinnati Masters and Adelaide International 1.