June 17, 2020 - The No. 1 tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, arrived in Zadar on Tuesday ahead of the Adria Tour humanitarian tournament.
"I have been all over Croatia, but I have never been to Zadar, and I am looking forward to meeting Zadar and the people here and all the participants of the Adria Tour. I am very excited and happy to have the opportunity to visit Zadar as part of the Adria Tour, and then a few more locations in the region," Djokovic said upon his arrival, revealing that he did not know that Zadar was Luka Modric's hometown.
It didn't take long for Djokovic to dip into the local mindset, as he was filmed at training at a Zadar beach.
"Mother Nature's Gym," he shared on Facebook with a short video. The post even prompted a reaction from American football legend Tom Brady - "The best!"
Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the final preparations are underway for the Adria Tour. The main court, which boasts room for nine thousand spectators, will be filled to half capacity to meet COVID-19 measures.
Tournament participants include world no. 1 Novak Djokovic, German star Alexander Zverev, and Gregori Dimitrov from Bulgaria, as well as Croatian Davis Cup national team members Marin Cilic and Borna Coric.
It has been known for a long time that Dominic Thiem, Austria's best tennis player, will not come to Visnjik, so there are three vacancies left. One spot should be filled by Felix Auger Aliasiemm, and the seventh participant will be obtained after the final of the HEP tournament.
Yesterday, Novak trained with Borna Coric at the tennis courts of TK Zadar 08 in the bay Drosanjica, which was followed by a line of eager fans waiting for an autograph. It was also on these courts that Borna took his first tennis steps, as his grandmother lives nearby.
After training, the great Nole signed the club's bulletin board and thus left his historical mark on a humble Zadar tennis court.
Although he did not appear on the central ground of the Visnjik Sports Center, Zverev did his training at the Falkensteiner & Spa Hotel Iadera in Petrcane. Just after noon on Tuesday, Zverev stayed with the Djokovic family on the luxury yacht Asha, and sailed together to the Kornati National Park on Wednesday morning.
Goran Ivanisevic, tournament director for Adria Tour Croatia, aired his thoughts on the Adria Tour in Serbia, emphasizing that it was a tennis mega-spectacle and that he is convinced that things will be even better in Zadar.
"It is a real shame to miss the matches that await us in Zadar," said Ivanisevic, obviously satisfied with the fact that apart from Djokovic, a tennis player who conquered the world not only with his game but also with his sportsmanship and humanitarian efforts, the audience will admire the moves of other tennis stars.
Only one question remains: "Are there any tickets left?"
The world is buzzing about the Adria Tour, as is evidenced by the fact that the scenes from Zadar will be broadcast to 110 countries on all continents.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
