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Novak Djokovic's controversial and ill-timed Adria Tour has landed him in a storm of trouble with four players - Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric, Viktor Troicki and Djokovic himself - having tested positive for coronavirus during the second leg of the tour held in Zadar, Croatia.
The Serb invited even more scrutiny after refusing to get tested in Croatia, like all of the other high profile players in attendance. Instead, he went straight to Belgrade, potentially carrying the virus across the border, before getting tested in his home city.
After the massive fallout in the tennis world on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic (whose wife Jelena also tested positive) issued an unconditional apology for the harm he may have caused by hosting the event. At the same time, he also tried to reiterate to the world that the event was held out of humanitarian concern and not greed.
Despite the apology, Djokovic's critics have refused to back down. They have repeatedly slammed the World No. 1 for his callous behavior and lack of responsibility, with some even demanding his resignation as president of the ATP Player Council.
One such critic is World No. 35 Guido Pella, who didn't mince words in his take-down of Novak Djokovic during an interview with TyC Sports.
Novak Djokovic has crossed a line, says Pella
Guido Pella had some very harsh words for the Serb after the way the disastrous Adria Tour played out. Pella feels no sympathy for the 17-time Grand Slam champion, and claimed that no matter what the intentions, Djokovic's actions were disrespectful to the world of tennis.
"Beyond the intentions that Novak Djokovic had, it is not fair that he could have organized such a tournament while the whole world is suffering from the pandemic," Pella said. "He has played with the health of many people, he has crossed a line which will be difficult to turn back."
Pella further went on to say:
"He disrespected the world of tennis. What he did makes no sense, he disrespected the whole world. Broadcasting videos where we see them dancing does not help and I do not know how he is going to get out of this."
Novak Djokovic has been the cynosure of the tennis world over the last few days for all the wrong reasons, and is under some serious pressure due to his antics. Before the pandemic struck Djokovic was unbeaten in 2020, and seemed capable of completing the fabled Calendar Slam. But now, his actions have endangered the entire tennis calendar, with many calling for the US Open to be cancelled in the wake of the Adria Tour infections.
The Serb is, however, still among the favorites at both the US Open and Roland Garros, if the two Majors do take place this year.
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