Djokovic, wife Jelena test negative for COVID-19

[July 03, 2020]  BELGRADE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena have tested negative for COVID-19, nine days after returning a positive test, the world number one tennis player's media team said on Thursday.

Djokovic, along with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, tested positive after playing in the Adria Tour, an exhibition tournament organised by the 17-times Grand Slam champion.

"Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena tested negative for COVID-19, as the most recent test they took in Belgrade showed. They felt no symptoms of the virus and took the test after consultations with the doctors," the statement said.

"They spent the past 10 days in self-isolation upon returning from Zadar (in Croatia), having adhered to all COVID-19 protocols and safety measures."

The tournament witnessed packed stands during the opening leg staged at Djokovic's tennis complex in Belgrade from June 13-14, with players hugging at the net, playing basketball, posing for pictures and attending press conferences together.

The second leg was held in Zadar from June 20-21.

The players did not break any Serbian or Croatian government protocols, as neither country required the athletes to maintain any social distancing

Serbia's Novak Djokovic with his wife Jelena in the stands during Adria Tour at Novak Tennis Centre in Belgrade, Serbia, June 14, 2020. Picture taken June 14, 2020. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

However, Djokovic, who was heavily criticised for staging the event, issued an apology, saying he was extremely sorry for the harm that had been caused.

Serbia has over 15,000 registered cases and 287 deaths due to the pandemic.

(Reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic, writing by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.