Djokovic decries criticism as ‘witch hunt’
WASHINGTON Novak Djokovic said Tuesday he’s being unfairly targeted for organizing an unsanctioned tennis tournament last month in Europe, one in which he, his wife, his fitness coach, three other players and another player’s trainer all tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“I can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious,” Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 men’s player, told Serbian newspaper Sportski Zurnal, as translated by Insider. “It’s obviously more than just criticism. It’s like an agenda and a witch hunt are on.”
Basic safety protocols established during the pandemic were not followed at the tournament. Players answered questions in close quarters at a news conference, with neither the stars nor reporters wearing masks. On the court, the players shook hands and draped arms over one another after matches.
Djokovic seems to think his fame is the reason he’s been criticized.
“Someone has to take the fall, a big name, to be the main culprit for everything,” he said. “I leave it to others to say if that is fair. I don’t think it is. I think that we must learn from all of this and to adapt as we go along.”
World No. 3 Dominic Thiem, who played in the tournament but tested negative for the virus, defended Djokovic on Tuesday.
“He didn’t commit a crime,” Thiem said. “We all made mistakes, but I don’t understand all the criticism. I’ve been to Nice and also saw pictures from other cities. It’s no different from Belgrade during the tournament. It’s too cheap to shoot at Djokovic now.”
As for the U.S. Open, to begin without fans Aug. 31 in New York, Djokovic is debating whether to show up.
“I still haven’t decided whether I will play in the U.S. Open. The upsurge in registered COVID-19 cases in the United States and New York in particular are not playing into the event’s hands,” he said.