Nick Kyrgios unloads on Novak Djokovic & Co for their 'stupidity'

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has tested positive for COVID-19 along with his wife Jelena Ristic, sending shock waves through the tennis world. And among the first of his colleagues to respond to the news was none other than Nick Kyrgios.

Novak Djokovic's announcement, however immense, was rather unsurprising given the events that have unfurled over the past couple of days. The Serb and his wife were just the latest in a long list of people to have contracted the virus as a result of being involved in the Adria Tour exhibition - which was organized by Djokovic himself.

The chain of events began on Sunday, with Bulgarian ace Grigor Dimitrov announcing that he has tested positive for the virus. Soon after, the final of the Zadar leg of the Adria Tour was called off and more people involved in the tournament - including Croatian player Borna Coric and Novak Djokovic's fitness coach Marco Panichi and Dimitrov's coach Kristijan Groh - announced their positive test results.

That was followed by Viktor Troicki admitting that he and his wife, who is eight months pregnant, had tested positive too.

The Adria Tour had received fierce opposition and criticism from fans and media alike for their decision to hold the tournament without social distancing and other safety protocols. One such fierce critic of the event was Australian World No. 40 Nick Kyrgios.

The mercurial Aussie had earlier lambasted the "boneheaded" decision of the organizers to go ahead with the exhibition the way they did.

🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ Boneheaded decision to go ahead with the ‘exhibition’ speedy recovery fellas, but that’s what happens when you disregard all protocols. This IS NOT A JOKE. https://t.co/SUdxfijkbK

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 22, 2020

Now after reading the Novak Djokovic announcement, the controversial "bad boy" of tennis from the land Down Under has once again taken to Twitter to express his annoyance. Nick Kyrgios pointed out the blatant disregard for social distancing norms at the event by referencing a particular incident where Novak Djokovic was seen recklessly partying at a nightclub in Belgrade along with his fellow players.

Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid - 19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ - this takes the cake. https://t.co/lVligELgID

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 23, 2020

Novak Djokovic's behavior takes the cake: Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios has been the target of the media throughout his career, and has a knack for getting himself into trouble. His actions have more than once led to fans calling for him to be suspended from the ATP tour, with some even suggesting mandatory "help" to deal with his anger issues.

Kyrgios was quick to remind the tennis fraternity of the times he has been targeted for stray incidents, while implying that in the grand scheme of things they were not nearly as grave as the mistakes made by the Adria Tour players.

Kyrgios also said that he - like most in the tennis world - is praying for the speedy recovery of those that have contracted the virus during the Adria Tour. But he minced no words in decrying the stupidity of Novak Djokovic and Co, saying that their behavior 'takes the cake'.

Nick Kyrgios has minced no words in criticism of Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour

Many now believe that Nick Kyrgios is on solid ground with his argument. In addition to partying in nightclubs, Novak Djokovic - accompanied by Dimitrov, Coric and Zverev (two of whom tested positive) - also attended Kids' Day events in both Belgrade and Zadar before the commencement of the on-court action.

It is reported that over 40 kids attended each event. Moreover, neither Djokovic nor the other players observed any social distancing norms while interacting with the gathered kids.

Novak Djokovic at the Kids' Day event of Adria Tour

It is also being reported that over 100 people who were in some way or the other exposed to the contagion in the Adria Tour, including the kids who attended the Kids' Day event and the Mayor of Zadar - have been forced to go into quarantine.

Moreover, the five-year-old granddaughter of the owner of the nightclub in Zadar where Novak Djokovic & Co had partied has also reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.