World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic has been tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Wife Jelena is also COVID-19 infected.
“Novak Djokovic tested positive for a virus COVID-19,” read a statement from his staff. “He is not showing any symptoms,” it added.
There is some relief that his children are not infected.
Djokovic declared that he will remain in self-isolation for 14 days and repeat the test in five days. “The moment we arrived in Belgrade we went to be tested. My result is positive, just as Jelena’s, while the results of our children are negative,” he said.
Djokovic had earlier said that he he was against taking a vaccine for the virus even if it became mandatory to travel.
Tennis player Viktor Troicki and his pregnant wife, as well Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria have earlier been reported positive for the virus. Borna Coric, who played Dimitrov on Saturday in Zadar, has also been infected.
Djokovic was the face behind the Adria Tour, a series of exhibition events in the Serbian capital and Zadar. He has been criticized for organizing the tournament and bringing in players from other countries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“It (the tournament idea) 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,” Djokovic said. “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.”
Still asymptomatic, Djokovic had apologised to all who have been infected during the tournament.