Novak Djokovic’s coronavirus decision leaves some in the tennis world divided

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Novak Djokovic left the US for Europe recently

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic left the US and flew back to Europe on account of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

However, the World No.1’s decision to leave the States before any official announcement left the tennis world divided.

Novak Djokovic Dubai
World No.1 Novak Djokovic in action. (Getty Images)

Djokovic took it upon himself by making a decision to leave the country ahead of Miami Masters in which he was to compete.

This has left many tennis players such as Taro Daniel and Noah Rubin infuriated with the former even taking it to Twitter to register his displeasure.

Daniel tweeted an Instagram photo of Djokovic and his team members including Janko Tipsarevic and coach Goran Ivanisevic leaving in a plane for Europe.

 

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic goes for a return in his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships first-round match against Malek Jaziri. (Getty Images)

American Taylor Fritz rises to Djokovic’s defence

Meanwhile, young American Taylor Fritz came in support of the Djokovic amidst discomfort registered by a few other players.

“Novak Djokovic left the US before the decision was made, due to proven suspicion of holding the tournament. He made a personal decision before ATP decided anything. He didn’t want to play.”

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. (Getty Images)

“I don’t know if (the decision that was made) was unanimous, but the Players’ Council respects the vote of the majority, and he was in favor of suspension.”

https://twitter.com/footbal42267855/status/1238184751548092416

He also added that the players were communicating and keeping in touch with each other through WhatsApp.

The tennis season, like most other sports competitions, will be off for a while. However, the safety of the players and fans is the first priority, something that all sports bodies seem to have taken into account with their decisions.

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