Annabel Croft defends Novak Djokovic, says she "doesn't respect Nick Kyrgios as a human being"
Despite being done and dusted, the Adria Tour and its participants continue to find themselves the subject of intense discussion. The most prominent among them is, of course, the host and organizer of the controversial tournament - Novak Djokovic.
The Serb has faced criticism from several quarters since four top players - including himself - tested positive for COVID-19. As videos and social media posts surfaced of the players hugging and partying in a nightclub, many ripped into Novak Djokovic and blamed him for spreading the virus.
And perhaps the most vocal of those critics has been Nick Kyrgios. The Aussie has relentlessly targeted Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and most recently Borna Coric for their involvement in the events at the Adria Tour.
But not everyone agrees with Kyrgios' viewpoint. In a recent conversation with Talksport, former British No. 1 Annabel Croft came out in defence of Novak Djokovic - while also accusing Kyrgios of trying to take the ‘moral high ground’.
Novak Djokovic was ‘trying to do it from the right place’: Annabel Croft
The jury has been split about Novak Djokovic ever since it emerged that social distancing norms were not followed at the Adra Tour. Some have been blaming the Serb for his carelessness, while others have insisted that he only had good intentions.
Among those who have defended Novak Djokovic are eminent tennis personalities like Patrick Mouratoglou, Richard Gasquet and Toni Nadal. They believe Djokovic didn't mean to cause any mishap or damages, and that his objectives behind hosting the event were pure.
Annabel Croft shares a similar opinion, as she asserted that Djokovic’s reasons came from ‘the right place’.
“I believe he was trying to do the right thing, he was trying to do it from the right place," Croft said. "He had been advised by the Government in Serbia that it was OK to go ahead, but of course he really took the wrap and it hasn’t done him a whole lot of good, publicly.”
A video of Novak Djokovic partying with Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov had gone viral in June, which drew the ire of several around the globe. Many took to social media to criticize Djokovic for allowing this to happen at a time when the entire world is grappling with a health crisis.
Safety protocols were ignored even when the players took to the court, as they were seen hugging each other after their respective matches. According to Annabel Croft, these blatantly visible missteps were the reason why the Adria Tour players attracted such widespread criticism.
“He was trying to put tennis back in front of the public and at that time Serbia wasn’t having a lot of cases," Croft said. "But I think it was some of the stuff that went out on social media where he was dancing in a nightclub, they were taking their shirts off and hugging, and on court they were hugging and greeting each other. Then, of course, things got bad, some of the players tested positive and he himself came down with it with his wife.”
Nick Kyrgios is ‘rude and vicious’ to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem & Alexander Zverev: Annabel Croft
Nick Kyrgios has publicly attacked the trio of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev on social media, labelling them as ‘potatoes’ and ‘doughnuts’. If that wasn’t enough, the Aussie also questioned the intellect of the players involved.
But Annabel Croft vehemently disagreed with Kyrgios' stand, and called him a few names herself.
“He is taking this position of the moral high ground and he has been incredible vocal," Croft said. "I’d go as far as saying he’s been unbelievably rude and vicious to quite a lot of his fellow tennis players in some tweets quite recently.”
Croft went on to add that while she understands Kyrgios' desire to pull out of the US Open, she can't take any of his jibes at Novak Djokovic & Co seriously - simply because the Aussie has committed his own share of offenses over the years.
"I have to say, after some of the behavior that I've seen from Nick Kyrgios, I'm not one that's inclined to really respect a lot of what he does...I don't really respect him as a human being with the way he goes about his business on the court, so it's hard for me to listen to him making that statement to be honest."