Novak Djokovic tested positive for Covid-19 in June after taking part in a tennis exhibition series he organized in Serbia and Croatia.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the world of tennis with Rafael Nadal being the latest addition to the list of professional tennis players to have tested positive for the virus. 2021 was still a relatively better year as fans got to experience more competitions than the year before. However, Covid outbreak scares were not rare. Players have tested positive while taking part in a competition and that has often disrupted the flow of events. Some big-name players missed tournaments as they were recovering from the virus. Three such players were Novack Djokovic, Dan Evan and Grigor Dimitrov.
Rafael Nadal tests positive for COVID after returning from tournament in Abu Dhabi https://t.co/AMFFiEAUMD
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 20, 2021
Novak Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus in June after taking part in a tennis exhibition series he organized in Serbia and Croatia.
The top-ranked Serb became the fourth player to test positive for the virus after first playing in Belgrade and then again last weekend in Zadar, Croatia. His wife also tested positive.
“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,” Djokovic said in a statement.
Djokovic has been criticised for organizing the tournament and bringing in players from other countries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Men’s British No. 1 Dan Evans missed the Tokyo Olympics following a positive test for COVID-19 in July.
British No 1 Dan Evans has pulled out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after testing positive for coronavirus.
Evans’ positive test comes just a day after British compatriot Johanna Konta was also forced to withdraw from this summer’s Games due to contracting Covid-19.
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 15, 2021
“Unfortunately, I recently tested positive for COVID-19. I will not be able to prepare and get myself ready for the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Evans said in an Instagram post.
“I am hugely disappointed and currently self-isolating according to guidelines as set by the government. I want to wish the entire GB team all the very best for the Games and look forward to being back on court in the near future.”
Grigor Dimitrov tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancellation of an exhibition event in Croatia in which top-ranked Novak Djokovic was due to play in the final.
The previous week Dimitrov had featured in the Serbia leg of the Adria Tour exhibition event organized by Djokovic. There was criticism that there was no social distancing at the exhibition, which took place before packed stands in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The Serbian government had lifted most virus restrictions despite of new cases being registered.
Dimitrov, ranked No. 19 and a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, announced on his Instagram page. This news broke out just when the U.S. Open said it would go forward.
The professional tennis tours had been suspended since March and were planning to resume in August. Goran Ivanisevic, one of Djokovic’s coaches, said the news from Dimitrov was “shocking” and that “now everyone will have to be tested.”
