Dominic Thiem has repeated Novak Djokovic by insisting he is ”extremely sorry” for his conduct during the controversial Adria Tour after four players tested positive for coronavirus.
Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all returned positive Covid-19 following the exhibition events in Serbia and Croatia.
Despite the pandemic forcing severe restrictions on elite sport around the world, images and videos were shared of the players hugging at the net, playing basketball together and mixing in close proximity.
Australian Open finalist Thiem won the Belgrade leg of the tournament at Djokovic’s tennis centre by the Danube River.
But the 26-year-old has now been humbled after a string of positive tests and fierce backlash from the tennis community about the risks taken in staging the events.
“We played without an audience for weeks, so we have been more than happy about the fans at the event,” Thiem said in an Instagram post. “We trusted the Serbian government’s corona rules, but we have been too optimistic.
“Our behaviour was a mistake, we acted too euphorically. I am extremely sorry.”
Though the players were not breaking government protocols during the tournament, it highlighted the risks of athletes from different countries mingling without adhering to what have become social distancing norms.
Thiem, also a two-times finalist at Roland Garros, did not play in Zadar as he had signed up to join the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, which is being held on weekends at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy in France.
“I’ve now got tested five times within the last ten days and the result was always negative. I wish everyone who is infected all the best and quick recovery,” Thiem added.
Reuters contributed to this report
