Grigor Dimitrov's manager hits back at the accusations of Novak Djokovic's father
Ever since Novak Djokovic's admission about having tested positive for coronavirus, all hell has broken loose in the tennis community. Much of the blame for the debacle has been directed at Novak Djokovic, with many questioning the poor safety precautions at the Serb's Adria Tour event.
But a few hours ago, Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan Djokovic tried to push the blame squarely on to Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov was the first high-profile tennis player to have tested positive for the virus, and Srdjan said the Bulgarian had done 'great damage to Serbia and to the Djokovic family' with his carelessness.
There has been a lot of hearsay since, which has forced Grigor Dimitrov's manager Georgi Stoimenov to step in and clear the air regarding his client.
Grigor Dimitrov's manager refutes the claims of Novak Djokovic's father
Grigor Dimitrov had begun to attract a lot of heat when reports from a Croatian tabloid insinuated that he had refused to take the COVID-19 test in Zadar despite showing the symptoms.
"Grigor Dimitrov endangered the health of his colleagues and everyone around him during the tournament. If he had reported in time that he was not feeling well, the virus would probably not have spread on the Adria Tour," read the report in Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List.
That report was probably what set off Srdjan's tirade against the Bulgarian. But with all this negativity afloat, Dimitrov's manager has taken it upon himself to clear his client's name.
"Regarding what Novak Djokovic's father said to Croatian television, I want to inform you about the following: Grigor landed directly in Belgrade after three months in complete isolation."
Shifting the blame back on to Novak Djokovic's tournament for failing to take appropriate measures on time, Dimitrov's manager continued:
"Neither in Belgrade nor later in Zadar (Croatia) was offered or required by him to test for coronavirus. The event organizers are the ones responsible for the safe running of the tournament, and creating rules to follow."
Dimitrov had also been a part of the Belgrade leg of Novak Djokovic's exhibition, arriving there from the United States. After playing Borna Coric in one of the matches in Zadar, Dimitrov's health worsened and he flew out to Monte Carlo.
A few hours later, Novak Djokovic & Co had to call off the whole tournament, as Grigor Dimitrov revealed that he had tested positive for the virus.
Dimitrov respected all the tournament rules: Stoimenov
The rumor mill further went to suggest that Grigor Dimitrov had been carrying the virus from US itself, before he joined Novak Djokovic at the Adria Tour. It was speculated that Dimitrov traveled with symptoms, putting the health of several people he interacted with in jeopardy.
But Novak Djokovic's younger brother Djordje, who was also the tournament organizer, later let everyone know that Dimitrov actually wasn't running a high temperature before playing, and only had an elbow injury.
Novak Djokovic's tournament was also criticized for not following social distancing guidelines, and for not making masks mandatory. Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov were seen huddling together at various points throughout the fortnight, and Dimitrov's manager reiterated that his client was only doing what was being allowed by the tournament.
"Grigor strictly respected all the rules imposed by the organizers of the tournament and existing laws and regulations while crossing border between Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia," he said.