Concerns mount for Novak Djokovic as Borna Coric tests positive for COVID-19
After Grigor Dimitrov's announcement on Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, Croatia's young sensation Borna Coric has now declared that he has tested positive too. Both Coric and Dimitrov were part of Novak Djokovic's much-publicized (and also much-maligned) Adria Tour.
Borna Coric, who was the last player to compete in a match with Grigor Dimitrov, made the announcement in the early hours of Monday.
Coric - like Dimitrov - expanded his statement by apologizing to anyone he might have unknowingly transmitted the virus to. He also advised everyone who had been in contact with him to immediately get tested and self-isolate themselves.
The Croatian World No. 33 had received a gentle fist-bump from Grigor Dimitrov - as opposed to the conventional handshake - after his win over the Bulgarian in Zadar on Saturday. Having been one of the last persons to be in direct contact with Dimitrov before the latter flew to Monaco to get himself tested, Coric was under the biggest risk of having caught the virus.
Novak Djokovic's execution of Adria Tour under the scanner
While it will never be certain as to who the primary carrier of the virus in the Adria Tour was, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is back under the scanner with these developments. The Serbian legend has come under relentless criticism from fans and media alike for supposedly throwing all COVID-19 caution to the wind in organizing his exhibition event.
There were seemingly no restrictions on crowd attendance and player interaction with the fans, with Novak Djokovic insisting that the pandemic was much more controlled in the Balkans than in the West.
Novak Djokovic was seen playing football along with his tennis mates before the Belgrade leg of the Adria Tour. Moreover, the World No. 1 kicked off the Zadar leg by playing basketball with Grigor Dimitrov & Co.
Novak Djokovic had also taken Zverev, Thiem, Dimitrov and others to party at a nightclub in Belgrade last Sunday.
The Adria Tour also saw no limitations on promotional events and crowd interactions, much to the concern of the rest of the tennis world. Novak Djokovic, accompanied by Dimitrov, Zverev and Coric, recently had an interview in the midst of a big crowd in Zadar while signing autograph for fans.
It is uncertain if Dimitrov and Coric were carrying the virus at that particular moment, but this crowd interaction could have put loads of people under threat of contracting the virus.
There were also initial reports from Belgrade based daily tabloid that the Serb had refused to get himself tested even after Dimitrov's announcement. However, after the developments with Coric and others, there is very little possibility of Djokovic being allowed to travel anywhere now before getting himself tested.
Zverev and Cilic test negative
There is also some relief for the tennis fraternity as it has been reported by Serbian broadcaster SportKlub that Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic have tested negative for coronavirus.