He tried to do a great and humanitarian thing: Goran Ivanisevic defends Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic’s coach and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic on Tuesday defended World No.1 men’s Tennis player by saying he was only trying to do something positive for people who have been stuck in lockdown for months.

Djokovic was criticised for hosting the tournament amid a pandemic after he, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki also returned positive coronavirus tests after playing in the tournament that was held in Serbia and Croatia.

Djokovic also admitted that it was too soon to hold a charity event like the Adria Tour which he organised with his brother in Serbia and Croatia. Djokovic apologised to all those who contracted the virus and advised everyone who were a part of the tournament to get tested and then practice social distancing.

“Everybody is smart now, and they are attacking Novak. He tried to do a great thing, a humanitarian thing. We were locked down for three months. He organized this tour,” Ivanisevic told the New York Times.

“The players came in Belgrade and we had good tennis and a good atmosphere. Everything in Serbia and everything in Croatia was done with the recommendations by the government.”

Ivanisevic also responded to pictures and videos of Djokovic and Co. partying in nightclubs during the Adria Tour.

“OK, maybe you didn’t need this,” he said. “But they are all individuals. Nobody forced anybody to come into that club. Nobody forced anybody to dance. Nobody can tell you to go on the stage, take your shirt off and dance.

“And how do you know anyone even got infected at that party?”