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The ghost of the Adria Tour continues to haunt Novak Djokovic even months after the ill-fated event. Questions are always being asked of the World No. 1, who organized the much-maligned tournament back in June.
Djokovic had not only apologized immediately, but also labeled all the criticism as a witch-hunt. Now in a heart-to-heart conversation with New York Times' Christoper Clarey, Novak Djokovic has cleared the air on a number of matters regarding the Adria Tour and its aftermath.
Djokovic also provided an update about his health, before going on to explain his opinion on vaccination.
Novak Djokovic on the Adria Tour and its aftermath
The Adria Tour saw several top players including Novak Djokovic testing positive for COVID-19. Some members of the coaching staff - including Goran Ivanisevic - as well as family - Djokovic's wife Jelena - also subsequently contracted the virus.
What particularly drew the ire of the critics was that no social distancing norms were followed at the event. To make matters worse, several players including the Serb were filmed partying without an iota of health or safety measures in place.
Being the organiser and host of the tournament, Djokovic became the target of all the brickbats - which continued for months.
Novak Djokovic has now reiterated that his intentions were always ‘right’, and that it was wrong to blame him solely for the fiasco. The Serb did admit that some things could have been done differently, especially the partying incident.
“I agree things could have been done differently with the nightclub. The sponsors organized. They invited players. We felt comfortable. We had a successful event. Everybody was really happy and joyful,” Djokovic said.
“We tried to do something with the right intentions,” he added. “Yes, there were some steps that could have been done differently, of course, but am I going to be then forever blamed for doing a mistake? I mean, OK, if this is the way, fine, I’ll accept it, because that’s the only thing I can do.”
In perhaps the most surprising comment of the interview, Djokovic then went on to declare that if given a chance, he would host the tournament again.
"Whether it’s fair or not, you tell me, but I know that the intentions were right and correct, and if I had the chance to do the Adria Tour again, I would do it again,” he said.
Novak Djokovic also reiterated his theory that he was the victim of a large-scale witch-hunt. For him, the idea of accepting the blame for everyone infected in the region from that day onwards was a far-fetched notion.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything bad to be honest,” he said. “I do feel sorry for people that were infected. Do I feel guilty for anybody that was infected from that point onward in Serbia, Croatia and the region? Of course not. It’s like a witch hunt, to be honest. How can you blame one individual for everything?”
COVID-19 has had no long-lasting effect on Novak Djokovic’s health
Novak Djokovic was one of those who suffered only mild symptoms of COVID-19. He was fortunate enough not to suffer from any fever, but did experience severe fatigue and a subsequent depletion in his stamina levels.
The Serb ensured he underwent all necessary medical tests to ascertain the level of damage caused by the virus, and fortunately there was nothing long-lasting.
“I’ve done a CT scan of my chest, and OK, everything is clear. I’ve done several tests since my negative test for the coronavirus as well before coming to New York,” Djokovic said. “I’ve done my blood tests, my urine tests, my stool tests, everything that I possibly can. I’m obviously doing that prevention anyway but of course now more than ever because we don’t really know what we’re dealing with.”
Novak Djokovic clarifies he isn't against vaccination
Ever since Novak Djokovic revealed that he wouldn’t want to be forced into taking a vaccine, he has been branded an 'anti-vaxxer' by the fans and the media. However, he has now clarified that his earlier statements were misconstrued and that he isn’t ‘against vaccination’.
“I see that the international media has taken that out of context a little bit, saying that I am completely against vaccines of any kind,” he said. “My issue here with vaccines is if someone is forcing me to put something in my body. That I don’t want. For me that’s unacceptable.”
“I am not against vaccination of any kind, because who am I to speak about vaccines when there are people that have been in the field of medicine and saving lives around the world? I’m sure that there are vaccines that have little side effects that have helped people and helped stop the spread of some infections around the world,” he added.
Djokovic did, however, express his concerns about a potential vaccine for coronavirus. The World No. 1 believes the virus is too volatile and unpredictable, and as such a vaccine could be rendered useless.
“How are we expecting that to solve our problem when this coronavirus is mutating regularly from what I understand?” he asked.
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