WASHINGTON, June 23, 2020 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has tested positive for COVID-19. His team announced the news Tuesday afternoon in a press release. Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, passed their tests Monday in Belgrade, Serbia, on their return from Zadar, Croatia, where last weekend’s no-social distancing, no-precautionary-testing Adria Tour event took place.

According to Djokovic’s statement, he currently shows no symptoms.

Djokovic, 33, was tested along with all members of his family and team with whom he was with in Belgrade and Zadar. While Djokovic and his wife have contracted the virus, his children, Stefan, 5, and Tara, 2, are negative.

“Everything we did in the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions,” Djokovic said in a statement. “Our tournament meant to unite and share a message of solidarity and compassion throughout the region.

“The Tour has been designed to help both established and up and coming tennis players from South-Eastern Europe to gain access to some competitive tennis while the various tours are on hold due to the COVID-19 situation.

“It was all born with a philanthropic idea, to direct all raised funds towards people in need and it warmed my heart to see how everybody strongly responded to this.

“We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus has 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.”

Novak Djokovic tested positive for a virus COVID-19. Immediately upon his arrival in Belgrade Novak was tested along with all members of the family and the team. He is not showing any symptoms.

Read the entire statement: https://t.co/R9iiOnog4l pic.twitter.com/iuMYAgRtCI

— Adria Tour Official (@AdriaTennisTour) June 23, 2020

Four players from Adria Tour have tested positive 

Djokovic is the fourth player from the Adria Tour who has tested positive for the contagious COVID-19 and the eighth person overall that has been identified. Previously, World No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov revealed Sunday he tested positive for COVID-19 after competing in the first two weekends of the charity exhibition event, first in Belgrade and later in Zadar. Dimitrov withdrew after losing his first match on Saturday and went home to Monaco. After news of Dimitrov’s positive test became public, Sunday evening’s Adria Tour final between Djokovic and Andrey Rublev was abruptly called off. (On Tuesday the remainder of the Adria Tour was canceled.)

Then, on Monday, both Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, who competed in Belgrade, revealed testing positive. According to reports, Dimitrov’s coach and Djokovic’s fitness trainer – plus Troicki’s pregnant wife – also tested positive.

Meanwhile, Rublev, Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev, all who competed in Zadar over the weekend, confirmed they were negative after being tested Sunday night in Zadar. Each offered their apologies, posted on social media, and said they would self-isolate for 14 days.

“I am hoping things will ease with time so we can all resume lives the way they were,” Djokovic said in his statement.

“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.”

Remainder of Adria Tour canceled

Adria Tour Director Djordje Djokovic, younger brother of Novak, announced the cancelation of the rest of the Adria Tour on Tuesday. “After today’s meeting of all members of the Organizing Committee of Adria Tour, it has been decided that the tournament could not be continued and, therefore, the matches in Banja Luka and Sarajevo will not be held,” a statement on the Tour’s website read.

”We are extremely sorry that we have to stop organizing the upcoming tennis tournaments in Banja Luka and Sarajevo. We were looking forward to promoting and providing financial support to local players, as well as to the audience finally seeing Novak Djokovic and other tennis players live, after many years of waiting. Unfortunately, due to all the events that happened in the last few days, we have decided that the most important thing right now is to stabilize the epidemiological situation, as well as for everyone to recover,” Djordje Djokovic said in a statement.

After today’s meeting of all members of the Organizing Committee of Adria Tour, it has been decided that the tournament could not be continued and, therefore, the matches in Banja Luka and Sarajevo will not be held.

Read more: https://t.co/AcBC6xSTBg pic.twitter.com/Sel3wBsYqJ

— Adria Tour Official (@AdriaTennisTour) June 23, 2020