World number one Novak Djokovic was widely condemned on Wednesday for hosting a tennis exhibition where he was one of four players to test positive for the coronavirus, a lapse that sent shudders through a sport struggling to get back on its feet.
The Serbian star
said he was “deeply sorry” in an unstinting apology for the now-cancelled Adria
Tour, where social distancing was minimal and matches were played in front of
thousands of fans.
However, criticism
was swift and heavy, with many voicing concerns over attempts to restart
professional tournaments in August, including the US Open Grand Slam is which
is scheduled to begin on August 31.
Djokovic, Grigor
Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all tested positive after taking part
in the Adria Tour, where players embraced across the net, played basketball and
even danced in a nightclub.
“I am so deeply
sorry our tournament has caused harm,” Djokovic, 33, said in a statement. His
wife Jelena also tested positive after attending the “philanthropic” tour in the
once war-torn Balkans.
As the mocking
hashtag #Djokovid circulated online, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, so often in the
crosshairs for his own on-court indiscretions, said the incident was pure “stupidity”.
“Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ — this takes the cake,” tweeted the world number 40.
Britain’s Andy
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has known Djokovic since their
junior days, said: “I don’t think it has been a great look for tennis.”
“In hindsight, it’s
not something that should have gone ahead,” Murray told reporters.
“It’s not
surprising how many people have tested positive after seeing some of the images
of the players’ party and the kids’ day. There was no social distancing in place.
“Some people have said maybe this has put the US Open in doubt — which it may well do. But the measures and the protocols they have in place at the USTA (United States Tennis Association) are different to Serbia and Croatia. No fans for a start.”
PR disaster
Djokovic is
unbeaten this year, a run that includes winning his 17th Grand Slam
title at the Australian Open, but COVID-19 has been a public relations disaster
for the eccentric Serb.
Even before the
Adria Tour, he was criticised for breaking lockdown rules to train in Spain,
and he then raised eyebrows by insisting he wouldn’t be prepared to vaccinate
against the coronavirus.
Djokovic also
described limits on players’ entourages at the US Open as “extreme” and “impossible”,
again putting him at odds with much of public opinion.
His latest misstep
has caused some to question his presidency of the ATP (Association of Tennis
Professionals, or men’s tour) Player Council, which advises the ATP board.
Tennis has been
particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting travel
restrictions because it is a global circuit with players from all over the
world.
“I think there’s a
lot of his peer group who are scratching their heads,” celebrated coach Paul
Annacone told Tennis.com.
“I was totally
anxiety-ridden and very disappointed because the restart, or the reimagining of
how we can start (tennis) is just about eight weeks away. And with all these
opportunities to try to start in a progression, to me, it felt like they
skipped about 15 steps.”
Martina
Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, tweeted: “Yikes… this is
not good and it’s a pattern… What now, US Open? Roland Garros? We have a lot
of work to do.”
Brazil’s Bruno
Soares, a doubles player who sits on the Player Council, called the Adria Tour
a “horror show”, while ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said it was a lesson for
other tournaments.
“It’s a little bit
like when you tell your kids when they try to learn to ride the bike to wear
the helmet,” Gaudenzi said. “It’s ‘no, no, no’.”
“And they ride the
bike, they fall, and then they wear the helmet.”
