Novak Djokovic’s positive coronavirus test reflects the perilous nature of tennis

Novak Djokovic’s leadership on ATP Council has been called into question after COVID-19 test. 

Like many sports stars, Novak Djokovic has been eager to get back to the sport that he loves. With the best of intentions, he organized the Adria exhibition tour in a few cities among the Southeastern European Balkans, getting together the world No. 3 Dominic Thiem, as well as a couple of former world No. 3’s and top players Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, among others. Unlike the proposed new format for the next big tournament, the US Open, Djokovic’s Adria tour cited the lower cases in places like Serbia and Croatia as an incentive to include fans.

Not only did the Adria tournaments allow spectators—who were not wearing masks while sitting in close proximity—but threw all caution to the wind by competing in contact-heavy basketball and soccer sports on the side. Worse yet was the video footage from a Belgrade nightclub that featured Djokovic among his player-pals, shirtless, partying in a packed atmosphere. Is it any wonder that Dimitrov, Borna Coric, (Djokovic doubles partner) Viktor Troiki (and his pregnant wife), Djokovic’s fitness coach Marko Paniki, as well as Dimitrov’s coach Christian Groh, have all tested positive for the virus? Zverev and Thiem reported that they tested negative.

Djokovic may have had the best of intentions when putting the four-event exhibition tour together, but the health risks underscore why tennis has been particularly hit hard during this pandemic. Due to its international nature, with sporting tourneys taking place all over the world, and players having to travel from across the globe, tennis finds itself in a difficult spot to rebound from.

The testing process that occurred after Dimitrov’s positive diagnosis, in the late evening after the last Adria Tour final was embarrassingly canceled, underscores the travel dangers that come with tennis. While Alexander Zverev, Coric, and Andrey Rublev waited to be tested in the parking lot, the organizer of the event, Djokovic had crossed borders and traveled home to Belgrade in order to be tested.

Dimitrov displayed symptoms once he was in Croatia to play, but prior he had traveled from Los Angeles, Serbia, and Bulgaria, according to The New York Times. He also elected to get tested in his home country of Monaco after withdrawing from the exhibition in Zadar (and breaking their three-week of streak of no cases). The crossing of borders by individual tennis stars demonstrates why tennis is particularly vulnerable to coronavirus exposure.

Unlike the separate PGA and European tours in golf, the American-based MLB or NHL, tennis brings individual players together for its marquee events across the globe for every event. Ignoring coronavirus precautions may set the sport back even further as it desperately tries to recover—with the ATP unsure it will be able to survive with no events indefinitely.

“It was all born with a philanthropic idea, to direct all raised funds towards people in need and it warmed my heart to see how everybody strongly responded to this,” said Djokovic according to CNN.

“We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus has weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the Tour had been met.

“Unfortunately, this virus is still present, and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with.

“I am hoping things will ease with time so we can all resume lives the way they were. I am extremely sorry for each individual case of infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone’s health situation and that everyone will be fine.”

As president of the ATP Council, the criticism of Novak Djokovic has been swift, with Nick Kyrgios—always a vocal critic of the Serbian— ripping the 17-time slam champ on Twitter.

Despite Djokovic’s noble efforts to create a fund to help out lower-ranked tennis players hit the hardest by the suspension of the tour, the Serbian’s reign as ATP Council president has had its share of controversy. These include not electing popular chairman Chris Kermode, to complaints of the 33-year-old Djokovic preferring a soccer match over participating in an important ATP Zoom meeting attended by approximately 400 players.

There is now talk about Djokovic’s tenure as president possibly coming to an early end.

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Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray took a more measured approach, not surprising considering their mutual friendship evidenced a little while ago with a public Instagram chat.

“I have always had a good relationship with Novak,” Andy Murray said according to The Guardian. “In hindsight, with what’s happened there, it is not a good look. When you are going through a time like this, it’s important any of the top athletes around the world should be showing that we are taking this extremely seriously, knowing that we are using social distancing measures and whatever it is.

“I hope that we learn from it and, off the back of it, they will be taking it extremely seriously because, ultimately, the Tour won’t get back again if we are having problems every single week and the players are doing what they want. We need to make sure we are doing the right thing.”

One thing’s for sure, the world of tennis just took a dangerous step back in its recovery from this global pandemic. With preparations underway for the next grand slam, the US Open, the current events leave the sport with unsure footing. With so many individuals traveling all over the world and crossing borders, is the tennis world really ready to start holding ATP and WTA events this fall?

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