Novak Djokovic: 'If I could do the Adria Tour again - I would'

[ASFN Admin]

On the eve of this weekend’s US Open build-up event in New York, world No 1 Novak Djokovic has given an unrepentant interview, saying: “If I had the chance to do the Adria Tour again, I would.” The Adria Tour was the ill-fated exhibition event that began in Belgrade on June 13, but soon had to be abandoned after four players – Djokovic himself, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki – tested positive for Covid-19. According to his interview with the New York Times, Djokovic suffered from fatigue for four or five days and also lost his sense of taste and smell, but never developed a fever. “I’ve done a CT scan of my chest,” he said, “and everything is clear.” As for the event itself, Djokovic doubled down on his comments to Serbian news sources in early July. As then, he used the phrase “witch hunt” to describe the critical reaction that followed the Adria Tour’s collapse. “I don’t think I’ve done anything bad to be honest,” he said. “I do feel sorry for people that were infected. Do I feel guilty for anybody that was infected from that point onward in Serbia, Croatia and the region? Of course not. It’s like a witch hunt, to be honest. How can you blame one individual for everything?” Djokovic is one of a handful of players who have opted out of the two Long Island hotels laid on by the United States Tennis Association in order to rent their own private houses in New York. These players are also obliged to pay for 24-hour security so that the USTA’s strict bubble protocols can be enforced.

Continue reading...