Dominic Thiem tests negative for COVID-19 after arriving from Serbia
Dominic Thiem was one of the star attractions at the recently concluded Belgrade leg of the Adria Tour. The World No. 3 beat Filip Krajinovic in a three-set final to win the exhibition tournament, and was seen having a good time in Novak Djokovic's hometown.
However, there were several eyebrows raised over the Adria Tour players not following social distancing rules in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were hugs and handshakes galore in the exhibition event, at a time when the world is still grappling with the deadly effects of virus.
After his victory in the final, Dominic Thiem went out with Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev to a night club in the Serbian capital. Many considered that to be particularly risky given that Djokovic had recently been in proximity with a basketball star who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Upon returning to his native Austria to resume his commitments in the Austrian Pro Series, Dominic Thiem and one member of his support staff were tested for COVID-19. Fortunately, the duo returned negative results.
I had a great time in Serbia: Dominic Thiem
Reminiscing about his time at the Adria Tour in Belgrade, Dominic Thiem said that it was his first visit to Serbia and that he enjoyed playing against a quality field in front of big crowds.
Dominic Thiem won all his three group-stage matches over the weekend, and went on to beat local hope Filip Krajinovic in a thrilling final.
"I played some matches in Austria, but this event was different," Thiem said. "We had high quality players and played in front of a huge crowd. It was my first time in Serbia and it was amazing."
Dominic Thiem further said in this regard that the series of exhibition matches he has played in recent weeks has kept him in good stead.
“It was a perfect weekend. I’m happy with the level I played this week. I’ve been fully in practice for quite a while – I played seven matches in Austria."
Dominic Thiem believes that playing in front of spectators is a whole different ball game - compared to the Austrian Pro series, which was held behind closed doors - as there is pressure to put up a good show. That is why the Austrian No. 1 is particularly happy about his exploits in the Serbian capital.
"But I have to say, it’s something very different with the big crowd," Thiem said. "You’re a little bit tight and you want to play better, because you’re not just playing for yourself, you also want to give the fans a good show. So I’m super happy that I won all of my matches."
Dominic Thiem also talked profusely about Novak Djokovic. whose foundation has organised the Adria Tour to raise funds for charitable causes.
"It’s great that it ended up like that, but first of all I had a really great time here," Thiem said. "I had an amazing weekend. It was for a good cause, too, so it couldn’t be better. So, a big thank you to Novak and his team, his family, for organising this great event, and making the time special for us here."