Saying that Novak Djokovic screwed it up is too cheap: Dominic Thiem's father Wolfgang
Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and other players present at the Adria Tour have kicked up a storm over the past couple of weeks. The exhibition tournament, hosted and funded by Novak Djokovic, came to a grinding halt during its second stage in Zadar, Croatia when Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov tested positive for COVID-19.
Later, Borna Coric, Viktor Troicki and Novak Djokovic himself all tested positive too. And to make matters even worse, tournament director and tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic also subsequently contracted the virus despite showing a negative test twice earlier.
The tour was controversial from the very start, as it had packed stadiums and no visible social distancing norms. At one point, the players were even seen dancing shirtless at a nightclub in Belgrade.
As the host, Novak Djokovic bore the brunt of the criticism for the disaster. But fans and experts around the world slammed all the members involved, most of whom have released apologies through their social media accounts since the debacle.
Dominic Thiem's father Wolfgang, who is an important member of the World No. 3's team, has also weighed in on the issue now. But instead of defending his son, he has gone on record saying that the large-scale criticism towards Novak Djokovic is "too cheap".
They just got a little sloppy: Wolfgang on Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and others
Novak Djokovic has been facing relentless brickbats from the media ever since the Adria Tour ended abruptly, but according to Wolfgang Thiem it is time for the critics to let go. Wolfgang believes that despite a few errors in judgement on the part of his son and others involved, the event had the right intentions and was held for a good reason.
Speaking to Austrian magazine Die Presse, Wolfgang said:
"I do not approve of what happened on the Adria Tour, but condemning Djokovic and saying he screwed it up is too cheap for me."
"Of course the dance at the disco was not optimal, but Djokovic basically did nothing wrong. They just got a little sloppy, they were euphoric," Wolfgang continued.
Dominic Thiem's own manager Hervig Straka had attacked Novak Djokovic in the immediate aftermath of the positive tests, and claimed that the World No. 1 was the only one who needed to apologize. But Wolfgang thinks otherwise, stressing on the fact that the entire purpose of the event was charitable.
In fact, Dominic Thiem's father went as far as suggesting that a few positive COVID-19 cases among the players was acceptable if it meant helping charitable organisations raise funds.
"I prefer that there be a few more cases of coronavirus and be able to raise a few thousand euros for a childhood cancer clinic," Wolfgang said.