World No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, and his wife, Jelena Djokovic, have tested positive for COVID-19, Djokovic announced on Tuesday. Djokovic had recently organized the Adria Tour, an unofficial charity event, which was cancelled before the final on Sunday.

“The moment we arrived in Belgrade, we went to be tested. My result is positive, just as Jelena’s, while the results of our children are negative”, Djokovic said in his announcement. 

He reportedly refused to be tested in Zadar, Croatia and flew to Belgrade, his home town, for medical assistance. However, he has not shown any symptoms. 

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The player received severe backlash on his carelessness regarding the situation, and for not adhering to safety protocols. 

“I am extremely sorry for each individual case of infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone’s health situation and that everyone will be fine. I will remain in self-isolation for the next 14 days, and repeat the test in five days”, he said. 

Djokovic had been under media scrutiny for organizing the Adria tour under current circumstances, putting both himself and the players at risk. 

“We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus had weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the Tour had been met. Unfortunately, this virus is still present, and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with”, he said in his statement. 

Djokovic Not The First to Test Positive

Djokovic is the fourth player who has tested positive for the virus. Leading players Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov, and Viktor Troicki have tested positive as well. The players had allegedly failed to maintain social distancing when they were together. They hugged each other, high-fived, and even partied together at night. Milos Bikovic, a Serbian actor, who had joined the group in the night-out, has also tested positive.