World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is among four players who have tested positive for COVID-19 following their participation in the Adria Tour, an exhibition series.

Djokovic confirmed today that he and his wife Jelena had tested positive for the virus. Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, who also played in the series, which has made stops in Belgrade, Serbia, and Zadar, Croatia, have also tested positive.

Djokovic said in a statement: "We organised the tournament at the moment when the virus has weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the tour had been met... 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."

Djokovic said that he would self-isolate for the next 14 days and that he would have another test in five days.

Djokovic, who is now back in Belgrade, issued a second statement Tuesday evening (CET), saying in part, "I am so deeply sorry our tournament has caused harm. Everything the organisers and I did the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions. We believe the tournament met all the health protocols and the health of our region seemed in good condition to finally unite people for philanthropic reasons. We were wrong and it was too soon. I can’t express enough how sorry I am for this and every case of infection."

Djokovic confirmed that his two children had tested negative for the virus.

ATP STATEMENT ON POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS

The ATP wishes a complete and quick recovery for the ATP players and members of their staff who tested positive for COVID-19 following involvement in the Adria Tour exhibition tournament. The ATP continues to urge strict adherence to responsible social distancing and health and safety guidelines to contain the spread of the virus.

In planning for the resumption of the ATP Tour season from 14 August, ATP and other stakeholders have made exhaustive plans to mitigate risks through a variety of precautions and protocols to be implemented at ATP events. We continue to plan and adjust these precautions and protocols according to latest medical information and prioritise safety in assessing every decision.

Editor's Note: This story was updated Tuesday 8.45pm CEST to include an excerpt of Novak Djokovic's additional statement.

Source: ATP Tour

Powered by NewsAPI.org