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'That man probably came sick' - Novak Djokovic's parents accuse Grigor Dimitrov of spreading coronavirus at Adria Tour

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 25, 2020, 09:01 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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World no. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic’s parents have defended their son while accusing another tennis player – Grigor Dimitrov – for spreading the COVID-19 virus at a series of exhibition matches hosted by Djokovic himself. 

World no. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic’s parents have defended their son while accusing another tennis player – Grigor Dimitrov – for spreading the COVID-19 virus at a series of exhibition matches hosted by Djokovic himself. 

Djokovic and his wife tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday with the 17-time Grand Slam winner apologizing online for the catastrophe following the Adria Tour events, which witnessed some of the top tennis stars from various countries participate in matches played in Serbia and Croatia. The crowd were allowed to attend the matches with no social distancing measures in place. 

Djokovic’s father has now blamed Grigor Dimitrov for the cancellation of Adria Tour. Dimitrov is one of the three other players to have tested positive in the last few days. However, there is no evidence that Dimitrov was the one to spread the virus to others.

“Why did it happen? Because that man probably came sick, who knows from where,” Srdjan Djokovic told RTL Croatia TV. “He didn’t test here, he tested somewhere else … I think that’s not fair.

“He inflicted damage to both Croatia and to us as a family in Serbia,” Srdjan Djokovic said. “Nobody is feeling well because of this situation.”

Dimitrov was the first Adria Tour player to test positive for the dreaded virus and was followed by Borna Coris and Viktor Troicki. 

“We were wrong and it was too soon,” wrote Djokovic, who has previously said he was against taking a vaccine for the virus even if it became mandatory to travel.

Whereas, Djokovic’s mother said that her son and his wife Jelena are feeling fine but are suffering due to worldwide criticism. 

“It is horrible what is being written, but we are used to it,” Dijana Djokovic told the Belgrade Blic daily newspaper.

The Adria Tour mishap puts question marks on the US Open scheduled to start August 31 behind closed doors.