'You would hope so', says ATP legend on Novak Djokovic's letter

Following the complications that surfaced for players in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic sent a letter to Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley asking him - bluntly - for significant restrictions training during the quarantine period. The move by the number 1 in the world - in addition to not having had the desired effects - has generated even more indignation on the part of public opinion. The Australian government's decision to bring about 1,200 foreigners into the country for a tennis tournament did not find the approval of the population, considering that several thousand Australians are still unable to return to their country. In particular, Nole's requests included stationary bikes and equipment for training in the rooms, food up to the standards of an athlete, and even the transfer of players to private homes with tennis courts. Todd Woodbridge, a former Grand Slam champion and current TV commentator, frankly admitted it would have been better if Djokovic had never sent that letter.

Woodbridge on Novak Djokovic

"You would hope so," Todd Woodbridge replied when asked if Novak Djokovic should not have submitted the letter in hindsight. "I mean look, health is what was going to determine what was happening, so going to Craig Tiley was not going to be the solution anyway. He could not make those decisions." After a few players aired their grievances about the issue, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic sent a list of demands to the organizers. His demands included food up to the standards of an athlete, exercise bikes and training equipment in their rooms, and even moving players into private homes with tennis courts. "I tell you what, we would have to go searching for a lot of tennis courts in backyards if Novak Djokovic's demands were going to be met," Woodbridge joked. "If it is about food and other things, they are going to be looked after," Woodbridge said. "If they want more food they will get more food. And I know the team at Tennis Australia will do everything to help those players in isolation to get back to their best after their hard lockdown. The players will settle down once they know how the people of Melbourne feel about them coming in." Despite the fact that two crew members tested positive, Tiley said that the management would stick to the planned date without any postponement or cancellation. He mentioned that it was unfortunate that two people tested positive but also revealed that there were 643 other tests that came out to be negative. “Ticket sales have been going well, we have two weeks of great tennis and our intention is to absolutely continue with those dates. So far, we have had 643 negative tests and two which have been unfortunately positive,” said Tiley.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3itXlfH