‘Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible”: Nick Kyrgios takes a swipe at Novak Djokovic after the world No 1 announces he has tested positive for coronavirus
Nick Kyrgios has taken another swipe at the organisers of the Adria Tour after world No 1 Novak Djokovic announced he’s tested positive for coronavirus.
Djokovic became the sixth direct participant in his exhibition series, held in Belgrade and Zadar, to catch the virus.
The two events were held with almost a complete lack of social distancing measures with the players also socialising together in nightclubs as well as playing football and basketball together.
Nick Kyrgios has again taken a pop at the organisers of the Adria Tour after Novak Djokovic became the sixth person directly involved in the tournament to test positive for Covid-19
Tweeting a video of players from the event partying in a nightclub, Kyrgios said the decision to play amid the pandemic made his previous indiscretions pale by comparison
The Australian hasn’t held back in his criticism of the event after several positive tests
Australian player Kyrgios has been outspoken in his criticism of the event and wasn’t slow to react on Twitter when news of Djokovic’s positive test broke.
Alongside a video of some of the players partying in a nightclub, he wrote: ‘Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid-19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ – this takes the cake.’
On Monday, after the Croatian player Borna Coric announced he’d tested positive, Kyrgios wrote: ‘Boneheaded decision to go ahead with the ‘exhibition’. Speedy recovery fellas, but that’s what happens when you disregard all protocols. This IS NOT A JOKE.’
Kyrgios had reacted on Twitter when Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric tested positive
Djokovic tested positive for coronavirus after hosting two tennis events where there was a near total lack of social distancing measures off the court between the players involved
Djokovic and fellow tennis stars partied in a Belgrade nightclub on Sunday night, with some of the players taking their shirts off during the riotous evening
Djokovic (left centre) was joined by the likes of Alex Zverev and Dominic Thiem throughout the evening following the completion of the Adria Tour
And after the Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov said he’d contracted coronavirus, Kyrgios had questioned whether Djokovic and others were to receive a test.
Djokovic, Dimitrov, Coric and fellow player Viktor Troicki have all tested positive, as well as Djokovic’s fitness trainer Marco Panichi and coach Christian Groh.
Djokovic, 33, tested positive after returning to Belgrade, having declined to be tested alongside everyone else at the second event in Croatia.
His wife Jelena has also tested positive although their children have not.
‘The moment we arrived in Belgrade we went to be tested,’ he said, before going on to state his good intentions in arranging the exhibition series.
Despite no social distancing the party broke no Serbian laws in relation to the coronavirus
Djokovic pictured alongside his wife Jelena, who has also tested positive for coronavirus – she has previously had a ‘false information’ badge attached to one of her Instagram posts after sharing a clip that suggested the spread of coronavirus is linked to 5G technology
‘Everything we did in in the past month we did with a pure heart. Our tournament was meant to unite and share a message of solidarity and compassion throughout the region.
‘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.
‘We organised 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.’