'We are in a delicate situation' - Garbine Muguruza on Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour
Novak Djokovic has come under the scanner of critics all over the world after his ill-timed Adria Tour came to a standstill due to Grigor Dimitrov testing positive for COVID-19.
Borna Coric, Viktor Troicki and Novak Djokovic himself all tested positive for the virus during the second leg in Zadar, making the tour a potential super-spreader of coronavirus. The World No. 1 added fuel to the fire by refusing to get tested in Croatia and instead going straight back to his hometown in Belgrade - perhaps carrying the virus across state borders.
Hosted and funded by Novak Djokovic and members of his family, the Adria Tour was controversial from the get-go. There were packed crowds throughout with no social distancing, and its participants were even seen partying at a nightclub in Belgrade.
The Adria Tour featured the likes of Dominic Thiem (who picked up the trophy at the first stage in Belgrade) and Alexander Zverev, who have all faced massive public backlash following the tour's abrupt end.
The latest in a long line of tennis players and former pros to comment on the debacle is two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza.
Novak Djokovic needed to be more careful, says Muguruza
Speaking to Diario AS, the former World No. 1 spoke about Novak Djokovic and also about how the case could be warning for the next few months. Muguruza called for tournament organizers to exercise much more caution than what was seen at the Adria Tour, in order to avoid a similar disaster in the future.
"It was important news. It is very surprising," said the Spaniard. " We are in a very delicate situation and we have to take into account how to hold tournaments. Other events have been done with more care and that can be clearly seen with the Novak Djokovic tournament."
Novak Djokovic issued a public apology last week on behalf of both himself and his wife Jelena, who also tested positive. But his critics have refused to back off, especially after tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic also tested positive for COVID-19 - after testing negative twice earlier.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Novak Djokovic and Co after it emerged on Sunday that despite promising to self-isolate, Alexander Zverev was at a party with a packed crowd in Monte Carlo.
The German tennis star, predictably, faced massive backlash from the tennis world following the event.
Garbine Muguruza talks about US Open 2020
Muguruza also gave her thoughts about the US Open taking place in New York, and implied that she trusts the USTA to ensure the safety of the players. The former Wimbledon champion said:
"It is in everyone's head, since it is the first great tournament. I think that if they celebrate it, they will do it well because they know how to do it there and there is also a lot left for the tournament. Everything is very unexpected, new things happen every day."
Top players like Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep have expressed reservations about traveling to the United States and playing at Flushing meadows given that the coronavirus epidemic is at its worst in the US. The commute from Europe to the US and back to Europe is also a big concern for European players, who will return to the continent for the clay swing.
Novak Djokovic had himself balked at the idea of participating in the US Open, but for different reasons. He thought the safety restrictions were "too extreme" at first, but later announced that he was excited to play the tournament.
Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem had echoed the Serb's concerns about playing in New York, but the latter has already issued a statement saying he will play both the US Open and the Cincinnati Masters.
Time will tell what the situation will be like at Flushing Meadows come 31 August - especially since the potential problems have been brought to light by Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour.