The disastrous Adriatic Tour with at least four infected tennis pros, and a coach makes for heated debates and harsh criticism is also Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev. The hoped-for restart with two Grand-Slam tournaments this year, seems anything but certain. After the violently attacked the organizer, Novak Djokovic had received from current and former companions also support, worsened on Thursday in the case of the protagonists of the Tennis scene again, the tone of voice.
FAZ.NET completely
access to all the exclusive F+articles. You will remain fully informed, for only € 2.95 per week.
Now 30 days free of charge
The latest news from the United States have adapted all too well to the mood of the image: After a Phase of relaxation, the Coronavirus is spreading in the country, in the end of August, the US Open match, again at an alarming rate. The United States reported on Tuesday, with around 34.700 new infections a further maximum, as on Wednesday of data from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore showed.
With more than 2.3 million well-known Corona-infections, the United States has more documented cases than any other country in the world. More than 121,000 people died as a result of a Covid-19-disease. To want to cast doubt on the plans of the American tennis Association, USTA, Grand Slam-Event pull-through, are likely to increase again.
The former Pro Nicolas Kiefer fears, especially by the fiasco in the Adriatic Tour “far-reaching consequences”. The 42-Year-old also sees the planned resumption of the tournament in Washington in mid-August, and the then-planned US Open and French Open in danger. The infections with the Coronavirus to the pros, Djokovic, Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki were “a clear Signal and a warning to the ATP Tour,” said pine “t-online.de” and asked: “The French Open should be played in front of spectators. Will not be the risk of just after these events too high?“
And also for the US Open, the former Davis Cup player massive problems. “All the travel restrictions need to be lifted up then – otherwise it would be a distortion of competition. It remains a mystery to me how the USTA would like to cope with it,“ said pine.
How tense the situation in men’s tennis currently, statements of Herwig Straka, a member of the ATP Board of Directors, the tournament Director from Vienna and also Manager of the world rank, underline, lists-third Dominic Thiem, who had gone as Zverev is also in the Adriatic-Tour at the Start. With words like “stupid” and “bullshit”, or a clear blame on the organizer, Djokovic, the 54-Year-old made not just for verbal disarmament.
