Djokovic issued a statement in late June, suggesting that he had caught the dreaded Corona Virus along with his wife, and coach. His children tested negative for the virus after double tests. 

Djokovic still went on to defend his decision for organizing the recent tennis tournament, saying that it was held in good intentions. 

“We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus had weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the Tour had been met,” he mentioned in his statement.

“Everything we did in the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions. Our tournament meant to unite and share a message of solidarity and compassion throughout the region,” he further added.

Toni Nadal spoke to ESPN about the tournament and about Djokovic’s eventual COVID positive result. He mentioned this was a mistake literally anyone could make, and Djokovic has been the bigger man by coming out and apologizing for it. 

“It was a shame. A good initiative ended up being a coronavirus problem that has not been good for tennis or Djokovic. Everyone should have been more cared for,” he said. 

“It’s a mistake anyone can make and Novak Djokovic has apologized for it” 

“In Serbia, they were not so strict. It’s a mistake anyone can make and Djokovic has apologized but it’s a setback in the process of normalizing the circuit,” he said. 

The fallout after the Adria Tour has made USTA and ATP even more careful of what’s to come. With the cramped calendar this year, it won’t be a surprise if players opt out of major Grand Slams. 

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=820TsEkIAWg