World number three Dominic Thiem is "extremely sorry" for the way players conducted themselves at Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition event after which four players tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Austrian said on Thursday. Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki tested positive after playing in the charity tournament in Serbia and Croatia, which drew big crowds and saw players pose for pictures together.
'We wanted to protect every player and fan after learning that Dimitrov tested positive. It was a charity event and all we wanted was to play tennis and give the fans a good show'
Kyrgios shot back at Coric, saying he "should care" about his comments.
'I can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious'
The final of the Croatia event in the coastal resort of Zadar, the second leg of the tour which would have featured world number one Novak Djokovic and Russian Andrey Rublev, was cancelled as a result.
The Adria Tour tournament, was the brainchild of World No 1 Novak Djokovic, who, along with his wife also tested positive for COVID-19 after the Adria Tour's second leg in Croatia.
Earlier in the day, Croatia's Borna Coric said he has tested positive for coronavirus. He became the second player to test positive for COVID-19 after Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.
Djokovic's father blamed the cancellation of the tour on Dimitrov. There is nothing to suggest that Dimitrov spread the virus to others.
Djokovic received a lot of heat from the tennis community and fans alike after testing positive.
Last week the men's ATP and the WTA, which runs women's events, issued revised calendars for the resumption of the circuit from August while organisers of the US Open said the Grand Slam will be staged without fans as scheduled from August 31 to September 13 in New York.
Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric tested positive for COVID-19 while participating in Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition tournament
The tournaments involve eight players each, divided into two pools of four on a round-robin basis. Sets have been slashed to best-of-seven games.
Thiem, who also played in the charity event but did not contract the virus, told Austrian media that Kyrgios had "made a lot of mistakes" and should not criticise others.
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena have tested negative for COVID-19, nine days after returning a positive test, the world number one tennis player's media team said on Thursday. Djokovic, along with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, tested positive after playing in the Adria Tour, an exhibition tournament organised by the 17-times Grand Slam champion.
Novak Djokovic's intentions in organising the ill-fated Adria Tour were good but the world number one could have applied a bit more common sense to how the exhibition event was run, former ATP players' council head Vijay Amritraj said. The Serbian has faced fierce criticism after he, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki contracted COVID-19 following the charity event in Serbia and Croatia.
Players will compete for A$450,000 (249,624) in the series, with matches taking place at closed stadiums and under strict biosecurity protocols in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
World number seven Alexander Zverev has said he is still unsure about travelling to New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic to play in the US Open. Women's world number one Ash Barty and her fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios have said they are skipping the hardcourt Grand Slam, which starts on August 31 and will be played without spectators in a bio-secure 'bubble'.
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has defended his Serbian compatriot Novak Djokovic for hosting the ill-fated Adria Tour where a number of players, including the world number one, tested positive for COVID-19. Djokovic was criticised for hosting the tennis tournament amid a pandemic after his coach Goran Ivanisevic and players Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki returned positive tests over the two legs in Serbia and Croatia.
Djokovic received severe backlash for organising the tournament with an audience amid the pandemic.
Coric's positive test follows that of Grigor Dimitrov, who said on Sunday he had contracted the novel coronavirus.
'Is he serious? It's a selfish political move to gain popularity.'
Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition event which also saw four tennis players test positive. The Croatian tennis great, who coaches World No 1 Djokovic, recently attended the tennis exhibition series in Serbia and Croatia.
Croatian Borna Coric saved six match points as he rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to stun Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) and send the fourth seed tumbling out of the US Open in the third round on Friday.
'Irresponsible' Djokovic panned for Adria Tour misadventure.
Nick Kyrgios was among the first players to react to Novak Djokovic being disqualified from the US Open.
Djokovic, Coric, Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki all tested positive for COVID-19 after playing in the event in Serbia and Croatia, which drew big crowds and saw the players pose for pictures together.
'But in mid-October, if we're able to come together and we've been able to provide revenue for 600 people, I think we will be very satisfied as a federation and I as a former player.'
World number one Novak Djokovic was disqualified from his US Open fourth round match against Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday after the Serbian struck a line judge with a ball following a point.
Novak Djokovic decided to travel to New York for the US Open amid the COVID-19 pandemic because the 17-time Grand Slam champion did not want to pass up on the opportunity to close in on Roger Federer's record tally of 20.
Nick Kyrgios has likened Novak Djokovic to NBA player LeBron James in his influence both on and off the court but says he had a duty to call out the world number one when he "lost his way" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organisers of the world's biggest tournaments say they will not make the same mistakes as they reopen the sport and seek to keep the players safe.
Zverev made more headlines off the court than on it last year.
Australian Nick Kyrgios has hit out at Alexander Zverev after a video appeared to show the German dancing at a crowded club on Sunday despite the world No. 7 pledging last week he would be self-isolating. The video was posted on Instagram by German designer Philipp Plein and later deleted. There was no indication when the video was taken.
Murray, 33, has not competed since playing in the Davis Cup in November due to complications with his hip but is set to return on Tuesday at a behind-closed-doors tournament in London, the 'Battle of the Brits', organised by his brother Jamie.
Dominic Thiem and home crowd favourite Filip Krajinovic reached the final of Novak Djokovic's tournament as the world number one broke down in tears in front of a packed 4,000 crowd on Sunday. World number three Thiem beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to set up the clash with Krajinovic.
It is a U-turn from Novak Djokovic after his June statements that competing at the 2020 US Open would be 'impossible' due to 'extreme' COVID-19 protocols for the tournament at Flushing Meadows.
'There are some challenges and combining parenting at home and teaching the kids at home and still going to practice and things like that, so it was challenging but at the same time you get through that together.'
The first leg of Djokovic's Adria Tour is being held at his tennis complex by the Danube River, with Germany's Alexander Zverev, Austrian Dominic Thiem and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov arriving for the event.
Rafael Nadal's decision to skip the US Open because of health concerns has added another twist to the intriguing three-way battle for the most career men's Grand Slam titles and, in many eyes, the title of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). Had the 34-year-old Spaniard managed to retain the title he won in a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev last year, he would have joined Roger Federer at the top of the list with 20 titles. Instead, his decision has cleared the path for 33-year-old Novak Djokovic to edge to within one of Nadal's Grand Slam tally with a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18 in total.
Andy Murray said he hoped the players and their family members who tested positive recovered soon and added that the tournament should not have gone ahead in hindsight.
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