The director general of the local health authority in Bergamo has paid tribute to Novak Djokovic after revealing that the tennis star has made a huge donation to his city and their fight against the coronavirus.
Peter Assembergs said he never expected to receive financial support from ‘such a prestigious person’. Bergamo is one of the worst affected areas in Italy. Since February there have been 21,645 deaths caused by the virus, according to the country’s Civil Protection Agency. This is the second highest in the world after America.
Doing his bit to support, Djokovic has donated €1 million to the region. The money will be used to purchase ventilators and other medical equipment. Djokovic, along with his wife Jelena, have already donated €1 million to his home country of Serbia. Where there have been more than 4000 cases with almost 100 deaths.
“We have received important donations from abroad and this has struck me. What has impressed me is that of Novak Djokovic, number 1 in world tennis, who has already made great donations for Serbia, his country, which however having heard the news of Lombardy and the province of Bergamo he wanted to think of us too. For me this is a great man, I hope to be able to embrace (thank) him tomorrow.” Sky Italia quoted Assembergs as saying.
Djokovic is a nine-time finalist of the Italian Open where he has won the title on four occasions. The most recent being back in 2015. It was at the tournament where he won his first Masters 1000 title on clay at the age of 20.
“Rome is a second home. Because I feel like I am Italian. I see it: people look at me with positive energy. And I feel that on court and in the city with all its history. Then I have many friends who I knew over the last 15 years.” He said during an interview with La Repubblica last year.
Last month the 32-year-old published a heartfelt statement in which he pleaded with the public to abide by lockdown rules and not to ‘burden’ local health officials at this time. In it, he called for there to be a sense of unity and people should enjoy spending time with their families.
“This is the time for all of us to get together and unite. Let’s really try to spend quality time with our family at home, enjoy the little things in life. Let’s try to laugh, love and dedicate time to inner work. Pray, meditate, eat healthy, play music, sing, dance, read, write, workout, sleep well, train our brains to think good thoughts… This is a great opportunity to do that.” He wrote.
Prior to the suspension of the tour, Djokovic started 2020 by winning 18 matches in a row. During the first quarter of the season, he helped guide Serbia to win the ATP Cup, claimed a record eighth Australian Open title and won the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Despite currently leading the world rankings, Djokovic will not be credited with the weeks he has spent as world No.1 during the suspension. Meaning his tally will remain at 282 weeks as world No.1 until the Tour resumes again.
