EXCLUSIVE: Annabel Croft insists Novak Djokovic should not take all the blame for Adria Tour nightmare

Former British No 1 Annabel Croft has insisted Novak Djokovic should not carry all the blame for the disastrous Adria Tour event after it was cancelled amid a storm of criticism in June.
Djokovic hosted a tournament featuring some of the game’s top players, with crowds in attendance after the Serbian government gave the green light for the event to go ahead with limited social distancing restrictions amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Serbia had reported limited cases of the virus that has brought the tennis calendar and the world to a grinding halt in recent months, yet Djokovic, his wife Jelena, his coach Goran Ivanisevic and opponents Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric all tested positive for coronavirus.
Milos Raonic warns Novak Djokovic ‘it will take a little bit of time to get trust back’
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic insisted she would take responsibility for the chain of events that sent shockwaves through the tennis community, yet BBC Sport analyst Croft believes Djokovic was guilty of over-ambitions rather than recklessness in staging the event.
“I don’t have enough detail on what advice they were given when they put on that tournament, but the Serbian Prime Minister has come out and take tech blame for what happened and you have to listen to that and accept what she is saying,” she told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.
“I do believe he did it with the best of intentions and he was trying to give people in his country something to smile about and give some players a chance to earn some money after the ATP Tour was shut down, but obviously it backfired badly.
“In the end, it has ended up becoming a very unfortunate situation and we all just have to hope that all of those who were were infected with the virus at the event are okay and it’s as a steep learning curve for everyone that we can’t let our guard down too early.”
Djokovic and his wife Jelena tested negative for Covid-19 last week, but the 17-time Grand Slam champion has yet to confirm whether he play at next month’s US Open in New York.
The BBC are screening an array of Wimbledon coverage over what should have been the two weeks of The Championships, with Sue Barker presenting a show live from the All England Club every night at 8pm on BBC2.
Follow Kevin Palmer on Twitter @RealKevinPalmer
Follow us on Twitter @T365Official.
Latest
-
Tennis News
Former world No 1 urges Australian public to give Novak Djokovic ‘another chance to explain himself’
“He was being a leader and it just came off wrong in the public.”
-
Tennis News
Ashleigh Barty happy to ‘knuckle down’ and get back into routine ahead of Australian Open
Ashleigh Barty ready for her big comeback.
-
Australian Open
2021 Australian Open prize money breakdown: Smaller cheques for winners, boost for first-round losers
A look at the 2021 Australian Open prize money.
-
Tennis News
Nick Kyrgios ‘very misunderstood’, but he will ‘always have your back’, says fellow Australian
“We’re almost brothers – pretty close.”
-
Tennis News
Changes made to ATP and WTA schedules to aid those affected by quarantine
Players will also be given priority for gyms and ice baths.
-
Australian Open
Boris Becker on what happens next for Alexander Zverev after a turbulent 2020
Boris Becker backs Alexander Zverev to win maiden major.
-
Australian Open
Dominic Thiem dismisses calls for the Australian Open to be cancelled
Dominic Thiem insists Australian Open should go ahead.
-
Tennis News
Timeline of Andy Murray’s injury nightmare as he pulls out of Australian Open
A timeline of Andy Murray’s injury woes since 2017.
-
News
Andy Murray ‘gutted’ as he shelves plans to play at Australian Open
Murray has been unable to solve a quarantine conundrum.
-
ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal learn their fate in ATP Cup draw
Serbia will begin defence of ATP Cup against Germany and Canada.