Novak Djokovic mauled over coronavirus ‘horror show’

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic reacts after winning against German tennis player Alexander Zverev during their single match at Adria Tour, Novak Djokovic’s Balkans charity tennis tournament in Belgrade on June 14, 2020. – The ATP and WTA Tours have been suspended since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not resume at least until the end of July 2020. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)

World number one Novak Djokovic was widely condemned 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 on Tuesday that he was “deeply sorry” in an unstinting apology for the now-canceled Adria Tour, where social distancing was minimal and matches were played in front of thousands of fans.

In the latest repercussion, Serbian NBA player Nikola Jokic has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after being pictured with Djokovic at an exhibition basketball event in Belgrade earlier this month.

Jokic’s team, the Denver Nuggets, who are ramping up preparations for a resumption of the NBA season, declined to comment on the report in the Denver Post, citing medical privacy. The player is now in quarantine in Serbia.

In his last tweet before his apology, Djokovic posted a picture of himself playing basketball with a caption challenging Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. “Am I ready for a 1:1 @KingJames?” it asked.

Djokovic, 33, has said he is “so deeply sorry” that the tournament “caused harm”. His wife Jelena has also tested positive.

Among the scathing criticism of Djokovic, there were questions about whether he, or tennis, should be allowed back on any court in the near future.

Many voiced concerns over attempts to restart professional tournaments in August, including the US Open 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.

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

COVID-19 has been a public relations disaster for Djokovic.

He was criticized for breaking lockdown rules to train in Spain and 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.

“I think there’s a lot of his peer group who are scratching their heads,” veteran coach Paul Annacone told Tennis.com.

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”.

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.”