‘Insane’: World reacts as Novak Djokovic tests positive to COVID-19
One key tennis figure who flew to Novak Djokovic’s defence has been shut down after offering a bizarre excuse for tennis’ virus crisis.
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The world isn’t showing tennis icon Novak Djokovic much sympathy after the world No. 1 tested positive for COVID-19, with many saying he only has himself to blame after organising a controversial exhibition tournament.
Djokovic pushed ahead with his Adria Tour in Serbia and Croatia despite the global pandemic. Worryingly, no social distancing precautions were enforced among players, fans, staff or volunteers and stars were even filmed dancing topless while partying together at a Belgrade nightclub.
As a result four players have now tested positive to coronavirus. Along with Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all contracted the disease. So too did Djokovic’s wife Jelena.
While the 17-time grand slam champion admitted he was “wrong” to proceed with the Adria Tour, Croatian Tennis president Nikolina Babic wasn’t so willing to back down.
Babic conceded “minor mistakes had been made” but insisted it was still a “good idea” to bring in top players like Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some minor mistakes may have been made, but the idea was a good one,” she told Croatian daily Vecernji List. “In Zadar, we had players for whom we usually have to pay 10 million euros ($AUD16 million) to bring them, it was an opportunity that may never come to us again.”
Tennis writer Tumaini Carayol labelled Babic’s defence “insane”.
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Should be even more reason to make sure there are as many precautions as possible. Insane. https://t.co/E9qwvwK4G1
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) June 23, 2020
According to New York Times tennis scribe Ben Rothenberg, Babic was also criticised by Feliks Lukas, the director of the WTA event in Bol, Croatia.
“The tournament (Adria Tour) was organised by incompetent people,” he reportedly said. “It is clear to me that everyone wants to be seen with Novak Djokovic and that few people dealt with the details.”
Rothenberg said given the lack of social distancing on show at the Adria Tour, it was hardly a surprise to see players contracting COVID-19.
“The sad thing is that this is completely expected in a lot of ways. As soon as the images emerged from the Adria Tour, we were all taken aback by how ‘un-pandemicky’ this looked,” he told Off The Ball Sports.
“It looked like a completely different universe from the one of social distancing and caution that we‘ve all grown used to.”
Djokovic has previously cast doubt over whether he’d accept a COVID-19 vaccine should one be developed, a stance Rothenberg suggested played a part in his unwillingness to adhere to biosecurity protocols.
“He has brought all kinds of weird pseudoscience people on his channels, bringing on all kinds of strange gurus to talk about changing water with positive thinking and things like that,” Rothenberg said.
“The scepticism of science did him no favours here.”
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios also weighed in, calling Djokovic out.
Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid - 19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ - this takes the cake. https://t.co/lVligELgID
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 23, 2020
CONSEQUENCES OF ‘CATASTROPHIC’ TENNIS CALL
Former Yugoslavia Davis Cup coach Radmilo Armenulic said the Adria Tour was a “huge mistake”.
“Djokovic shot himself in the foot by organising the Adria Tour. The organisation of the Belgrade leg was catastrophic, the stands were so full that fans were virtually sitting on top of each other,” he told Reuters.
“He staged this event with the best of intentions but it turns out it was a big mistake.”
Former French Open doubles champion turned commentator Patrick McEnroe released a video on Twitter saying: “When I sent out a tweet a couple weeks ago about that event in Serbia, I said it looks like a normal tennis event to me. I’m not sure everyone got my point.
“Maybe they are starting to get it now. Nothing’s foolproof so don’t be foolish. That’s my message.”
The chaos caused by the Adria Tour is an unwanted development for US Open organisers, who last week announced the grand slam would go ahead as scheduled in New York without fans, starting on August 31.
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After the first positive tests emerged from the Adria Tour, American player Mitchell Krueger tweeted: “It’s only inevitable that all these boneheaded decisions are possibly putting US Open at risk. Which means this also affects some 300-plus players. Nobody is bigger than the sport.”
“One step forward five steps back,” Krueger added in response to Djokovic’s positive test.
Former junior Wimbledon champion Noah Rubin lashed out at Djokovic’s decision to hold his tournament.
“It’s just not okay. Reckless and disappointing that they thought tennis deserved the risk,” he said on Twitter.
Even before Djokovic tested positive, British No. 1 Dan Evans said the Serbian needed to shoulder responsibility for other players contracting the disease.
“I don‘t think he should be having a players’ party and dancing all over each other,” Evans said.
“He should feel some responsibility in his event and how it‘s transpired, really.
“It‘s very unfortunate that Grigor has it and Coric has it but you strip it back, is it a surprise? I think that’s the question we should all ask.”
COACH COMES TO NOVAK’S DEFENCE
Djokovic’s coach and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic came to his player’s defence, saying he never broke any rules and was only trying to do something positive for people who have been stuck in lockdown for months.
“It’s easy to be a general after a fight,” Ivanisevic told the New York Times. “Everybody is smart now, and they are attacking Novak.
“He tried to do a great thing, a humanitarian thing. We were locked down for three months. He organised this tour. The players came in Belgrade and we had good tennis and a good atmosphere.
“Everything in Serbia and everything in Croatia was done with the recommendations by the government.”
Ivanisevic also responded to pictures and videos of Djokovic and Co. partying in nightclubs during the Adria Tour, refusing to pin the blame on the quartet of positive coronavirus tests on that.
“OK, maybe you didn’t need this,” he said. “But they are all individuals. Nobody forced anybody to come into that club. Nobody forced anybody to dance. Nobody can tell you go on the stage, take your shirt off and dance.
“And how do you know anyone even got infected at that party?”
DJOKOVIC RESPONDS
A spokesperson for Djokovic said he is “not showing any symptoms” and the 33-year-old took to Instagram to update his followers after being diagnosed.
“Hi everyone — we’re back in Belgrade and I’ve tested positive for COVID-19 as well as Jelena,” he wrote. “The kids have tested negative.
“We will remain in self-isolation for the next 14 days and repeat the test in five days.
“I am so deeply sorry our tournament has caused harm. Everything the organisers and I did the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions.
“We believed the tournament met all health protocols and the health of our region seemed in good condition to finally unite people for philanthropic reasons.
“We were wrong and it was too soon.
“I can’t express how sorry I am for this and every case of infection.
“If you attended Adria Tour or were around any attendees please get tested and practise social distancing.
“For those in Belgrade and Zadar, we will be sharing health resources in the immediate future. The rest of the tournament has been cancelled and we will remain focused on all those who have been affected.
“I pray for everyone’s full recovery.”
Originally published as ‘Insane’: World reacts as Novak Djokovic tests positive to COVID-19