After several weeks in which tennis fans have had to wait for live action, suddenly the reality of players taking to the court have filled many with revulsion, shock and sadness.
In a post-COVID world, and before a vaccine has been developed and released, the idea of a tennis tournament with fans in attendance was something of a dream, but reactions to last week’s Adria Cup have made the festivities something of a nightmare, including for the current world number one, Novak Djokovic.
Just weeks ago, Djokovic was, of course, sounding like he might well be against the return of U.S. Open tennis, which, if it goes ahead as planned, will commence in August. Djokovic argued that the testing side of the game was not something he was in alignment with, and therefore he might not attend. Setting aside the fact that the U.S. Open would struggle for viewing figures if Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer follow Djokovic in missing out on Flushing Meadow this time round, Djokovic has now proved that it’s not tennis or crowds that he minds at all.
The Adria Cup festivities this weekend including many things, but a game of football with as close contact as there can be within the laws of the game, a dance-off at a piano and a tennis tournament with packed stands were all on the cards.
It wasn’t just Djoko at the event with as players such as Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev all played. So much has been said about the rising death toll of COVID-19 in the past 10 weeks that you might be forgiven for thinking that the Adria Cup players and supporters had been living in a cave. Most observers were speechless, including tennis writer Nick McCarvel.
With Serbia hosting a football game between Partizan Belgrade and Red Star just a few hours earlier, it’s clear that with the R-rate down in Serbia, so too are the restrictions. But is it in any way forgivable to fly players in from around the world to play in an environment that is as protection-free as any of the riots taking place in cities like London and New York in recent days?
Djokovic himself was as bullish with his words as he is his backhand. “We have different measures in Serbia than the United States or UK,” he said. “It’s not up to me to make the call on what is right or wrong health-wise. We are following what the government of Serbia is telling us.”
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) are bound to have a very dim view on the Adria Cup, and with the U.S. Open all but weeks away, may look to reschedule in the light of this dangerous precedent.
Nick Kyrgios has been one player who has stated his disagreement with the USTA for continuing to press for the U.S. Open to go ahead. He’s also criticised Dominic Thiem, who won the Adria Tour final over Filip Krajinovic in Belgrade at the weekend over his refusal to donate money to help lower-ranked players on the tour.
“None of the lower-ranked players have to fight for their lives,” Thiem had told Krone Sport. The Austrian, who has won over $24 million in prize money during his career, has been slammed by Kyrgios in return.
“He doesn’t understand the point,” said Kyrgios. “We at the top get paid far too much and there is not enough to go around. It’s about helping where we can, professional or unprofessional. Put yourself in their shoes.”
It’s unlikely that Dominic Thiem and Nick Kyrgios will be exchanging Christmas cards in December, with Kyrgios saying in an Instagram session with Andy Murray that Thiem enjoys watching paint dry.
If only there was a forthcoming Grand Slam where both men who end their dispute on the court. One at, say, Flushing Meadow, where alone on the court, the two men could settle their differences with millions watching at home. Roll on August, we say, as long as both men play.
