No other tennis player has recently made as many headlines as Novak Djokovic. The Serb was caught in the crossfire of criticism after his Adriatic tour, during which he and some other participants became infected with the corona virus. The whole thing went so far that death was wanted for world number 1.
The German ex-tennis professional Nicolas Kiefer shows little understanding and asks “focus online”: “Did Djokovic think that the virus is everywhere, just not in Serbia?” When he saw the video celebrating topless, he was shocked. The 42-year-old finds it disrespectful that there was pretending that there was no global pandemic.
What did you think?
His criticism is not only directed at Djokovic. The German also shoots sharply against his compatriot Alexander Zverev (ATP 7) and the Austrian Dominic Thiem (ATP 3). “You have to touch your head and ask yourself what a Zverev, a Thiem and many other players thought during such a performance,” Kiefer told “t-online”. If the two top ten players are so naive that they promise to take part, the former world number 4 would have wished at least for the environment to intervene.
«Zverev and Thiem are actually well advised. Why doesn’t anyone say in advance: “Nice invitation, but you’re not going there!”? », He wonders. You have to ask yourself whether they have anything else in their heads than tennis balls. “Every player has to be mature and experienced enough to assess the more than critical situation”, Kiefer expects more responsibility.
But perhaps Zverev was simply not aware of the consequences of his participation. This is what Kiefer suspects in an interview with “focus online”: “He probably just came from the USA. Where he prepared, everything was probably a little bit looser. I don’t know if he noticed how serious the corona crisis is here in Germany and in Europe. »
«Clear signal and warning to the ATP tour»
Nor does the German have any understanding for Victor Troicki (34, ATP 184), who, unlike Thiem and Zverev, who both tested negative, is one of those who caught the corona virus on the Adria Tour. The Serb was even accompanied by his pregnant wife. “You wouldn’t have done that with common sense,” says Kiefer.
The German is of the opinion that a certain normality can only return to tennis if the entry and exit bans around the world are lifted. He therefore sees the controversial Adria Tour as a “clear signal and a warning to the ATP Tour” towards “t-online”. It also calls into question the upcoming Grand Slams in New York and Paris. (bir)
