Novak Djokovic Irked by exclusion of Guido Pella from Cincinnati Masters

World number one Tennis player, Novak Djokovic is against the decision to exclude Guido Pella and Hugo Dellen from the upcoming Cincinnati Masters after their fitness trainers were tested positive from novel coronavirus.

Another star player like Andy Murray is also against the decision that excluding a player based on their trainer getting tested positive for COVID-19 is not acceptable.

“On a Zoom call a few weeks ago we got information from the chief medical doctor of the USTA that if a player is not sharing a room with his coach, or his physio, or anyone from his team that is infected, and his (own) results are negative, he can still compete in the tournament,” ESPN quoted Djokovic as saying in a video news conference with reporters covering the event.

According to him, no proper safety and health guidelines were told to players and officials on call which is a strange thing. As players also asked several times on call about the safety protocols but everything was vehemently ignored.

“That’s why a lot of the players were — are — upset, including myself, when I see that Pell and Dellien are treated in this way.“

However, USTA chairman Chris Widmaier clairified that the exclusion of these two players was based on the advice suggested by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that “defines close contact as spending 15 minutes or more within six feet of another individual.”

“Simply put, the individuals in close contact with the infected individual must quarantine for 14 days. This is not a discretionary decision,” Widmaier said.

Djokovic is one of the few players in the game of Tennis who always raise his voice against anything which goes wrong in the Tennis circuit. He is eyeing for one more title in the upcoming mega event.