Grigor Dimitrov and Novak Djokovic warm up with a game of basketball ahead of the Adria Tour event in Croatia,three days before the former revealed he has tested positive for COVID-19Credit:AP
With international tennis suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Djokovic organised the Adria Tour as a charity event designated to be contested over four legs across the former Yugoslavia.
Austria's world No.3 Dominic Thiem won the opening leg in Belgrade,where a capacity 4000 crowd turned up on each day at Djokovic's tennis centre by the Danube river.
With both Serbia and Croatia easing lockdown measures weeks before the event,players were not obliged to observe social distancing rules in either country and were seen embracing at the net at the end of their matches.
Fans in Croatia,however,were subject to the rules and had to keep their distance,meaning that the 9000-capacity Visnjik tennis complex was half-full for the event.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov returns serve to Austrian Dominic Thiem during an earlier match at the Adria Tour charity tournament.Credit:AP
The third leg due in Montenegro on June 27 and 28 was scrapped last week over coronavirus concerns while the final leg,scheduled for July 3 and 4 in Bosnia's Banja Luka,is now likely to be called off.
Djokovic's brother Djordje,the director of the entire Adria Tour series,said everyone who has been in contact with Dimitrov would be tested for COVID-19 in the next few hours.
"After receiving the news,we took all the measures stipulated by the Croatian government and everyone who has had any contact with Grigor will be tested,"he said in a courtside interview.
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Ivanisevic added:"This came as a huge shock. I tested negative three days ago although I was in Grigor's proximity and despite the bad news,I want to thank the Djokovic family for making the effort."
As well as Djokovic,Coric,Dimitrov and Rublev,also competing in the eight-man Zadar field were world No.7 Alexander Zverev,former US Open champion Marin Cilic,Pedja Krstin and Danilo Petrovic. Nino Serdarusic was drafted in as Dimitrov's replacement.
Olga Danilovic and Donna Vekic also featured in a mixed doubles match with Djokovic and Coric.