NOVAK DJOKOVIC'S wife has blamed 'stress-related breathing issues' on her decision not to wear a face mask properly at Roland Garros.

Jelena Djokovic was seen in the stands as the Serb won his French Open semi-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Many viewers were furious with Djokovic's high school sweetheart for wearing the mask below her nose.

Improperly wearing a facemask drastically reduces its effectiveness in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

But Jelena has defended herself as well as one member of Djokovic's team who did not don a mask at all.

She tweeted: "That one 'guy' has exemption from doctors. Not everything is Covid related.

"I on the other hand, have less official reason- stress related breathing issues when watching my husband play.

"People surrounding us are all tested and negative."

Countless sports stars have been spotted not wearing face masks properly since they were introduced to combat coronavirus.

However, crowds of 1,000 fans were allowed to attend main stadium matches in Paris – providing they wore face masks and were socially distanced.

Players can be fined if members of their team do not adhere to rules with the French capital back under a form of lockdown due to rising coronavirus cases.

Indeed, Djokovic, who lost Sunday's final to Rafa Nadal in straight sets, has been pointedly criticised for his actions during the pandemic.

The 33-year-old helped set up the Adria Tour at the height of the first wave, a time in which Wimbledon was cancelled.

A spate of coronavirus cases followed, Djokovic himself testing positive before voicing his doubts about vaccinations, leading to widespread anger among tennis fans and players.

As such, there was little sympathy for Jelena's claims on social media.

Twitter user Lee wrote: "If he has an exemption and you have breathing issues… you're probably not gonna like what happens if you get Covid. Perhaps shouldn't be in close proximity to other people."

Another commented: "I don't think 'stress-related breathing issues' is a legitimate excuse. Other people are also watching their loved ones play and feel stressed out. And I say this as a Nole fan."

Yet, one fan tweeted: "You don't owe him any explanation. Ignore his tweets because he is going to get more bitter when Novak will win tomorrow. You stay strong and focused on our Champion. We are proud of you both for always being humble and kind and compassionate."

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