Novak Djokovic's grandfather: 'Novak annoys Nadal, Federer and the other 20 who are below him'

Novak Djokovic has come under heavy criticism over the past few weeks, ever since his controversial Adria Tour came to a halt. The event, which ended up seeing four players - including Djokovic himself - testing positive for COVID-19, led to huge debates over the Serb's role as host and World No. 1.

The Adria Tour had packed stadiums, full press meets and little to no social distancing norms, and at one point the players were even seen dancing at a nightclub in Belgrade with their shirts off. Many believed the conditions were a recipe for a disaster; when the inevitable happened and the players tested positive, Novak Djokovic was slaughtered in the media.

A few, however, came to the defense of the Serb at the time, most of whom hailed from the Balkans region themselves. More recently, the World No. 1 has received support from colleagues and experts who have asked everyone to forgive and forget the mistakes that were made.

Novak Djokovic's grandfather Zdenko Zagar has now joined in the conversation too, and as expected he has sharply defended the World No. 1. Zagar has claimed that those who attacked Djokovic were annoyed because he is better than his rivals - mainly Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - and also because he hails from a small country like Serbia.

The only reason he is criticized is because he is from Serbia: Novak Djokovic's grandfather

Novak Djokovic at a press conference in Belgrade, Serbia

As per Spanish daily AS, Zdenko Zagar, Novak Djokovic's maternal grandfather, gave an interview where he took the opportunity to defend his grandson over the Adria Tour controversy.

"The tournament was played in the open air," Zagar said. "There is no way Djokovic took the coronavirus there! I was there too and did not catch it. I was scared when I found out that he got infected. But I knew he was strong to receive the attacks he has received."

Djokovic's grandfather, who identifies as Yugoslav or Croatian, went on to claim that the people criticizing his grandson were doing so out of ignorance. Zagar believes that Djokovic is 'better' than his critics, which is the reason why he is frequently targeted.

"No I know why he is constantly criticized," Zagar said. "They are dirty thoughts. The only reason I can think of to criticize him is for being Serbian, when many do not know where Serbia and Belgrade are. He is better and more famous than everyone who insults him."

Zagar then added that since his grandson is the World No. 1 and superior to his rivals on tour, the other players feel 'annoyed'.

"Everything is explained because Djokovic annoys Nadal, Federer and the other 20 who are below him. I'm not going to comment on it. I should ignore them," concluded Zagar.