Australian Open COVID crisis: Alize Cornet apologises for ‘tactless’ comments about lockdown
A tennis star has apologised for short-sighted comments she made about being stuck in lockdown, acknowledging how much people have suffered in recent months.
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A tennis star has apologised for short-sighted comments she made about being stuck in lockdown, acknowledging how much people have suffered in recent months.
Over the weekend Frenchwoman Alize Cornet complained that the quarantine rules had been changed without player consultation — an unsubstantiated claim.
“Soon, half of the players from the AO will actually have to isolate,” she said on Twitter.
“Weeks and weeks of practice and hard work going to waste for one person positive to Covid in a 3/4 empty plane. Sorry but this is insane
“We are also playing by the rules and doing the 14 days quarantine ourselves, with just 5 hours outside per day, safe and supervised, in order to work and be ready for the AO coming up. I just think that these measures are not made to hold an international tennis event.
“We’ve been told that the plane would be separated by section of 10 people and that if one person of your section was positive, then you had to isolate. Not that the whole plane had to.”
Cornet soon deleted her posts and replaced it on Sunday night with the apology.
After my last (deleted) tweet I feel like I need to apologize to you Australian people. Your reaction to this tactless comment made me realize what you've been through last year & how much you suffered. I guess I feel a bit anxious about all this & I better have shut my mouth
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 17, 2021
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“After my last (deleted) tweet I feel like I need to apologize to you Australian people,” she wrote.
“Your reaction to this tactless comment made me realize what you’ve been through last year & how much you suffered. I guess I feel a bit anxious about all this & I better have shut my mouth.
“But sometimes we make mistakes and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt your feelings. Don’t be mad at me Aussie people, you’ve always been one of my favorite ! I promise I’ll stay quiet for a while. Take care.”
Amid growing backlash from players, Russian-born Kiwi Australian Open contender Artem Sitak returned serve to the entitled stars urging the to get some perspective on their quarantine plight.
Disputing claims Tennis Australia did not properly inform players of what could happen if travellers on their flights to Australia tested positive for COVID-19.
Swiss starlet Belinda Bencic, on Twitter, claimed the quarantine rules were changed for players on arrival.
“We made our decision to come here from rules that were sent to us. Then we arrived and received an information/rule book with more/new rules that we did not know about,” Bencic wrote.
Actually, no we didn‘t. We made our decision to come here from rules that were sent to us. Then we arrived and received an information/rule book with more/new rules that we did not know about. https://t.co/WSnpmENk1r
— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) January 16, 2021
Kazakh Yulia Putintseva claimed “no one ever told us” about the potential ramifications of a positive test on a flight, while Romania’s Sorana Cirstea doubled down: “If they had told us this rule before I would not play Australia” and claimed the “rules changed overnight”.
I agree...if they would have told us this rule before i would not play Australia...I would have stayed home. They told us we would fly at 20% capacity, in sections and we would be a close contact ONLY if my team or cohort tests positive . https://t.co/kF58HEijqq
— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) January 16, 2021
But statesman Sitak said every player knew what they were getting themselves into when they decided to come to Australia and suggested if they didn’t, they may have missed an important phone conference with Tennis Australia.
“I want to clarify something — we had a call with Tennis Australia about a month ago and not a lot of players were on the call, which was surprising to me, but hey, that’s how it was,” Sitak, who was on a flight where an attendant tested positive and is stuck in quarantine for 14 days, said.
“So basically, the organisers, they told us the risks that we’re going to be undertaking and they did mention that if somebody tests positive on the flight it’s going to be up to the health authorities to decide whether to quarantine all the flight or just isolate compartments of the plane.
“Now, in our case where the flight attendant tested positive, of course, the whole plane has to be isolated.
“Knowing the very, very strict rules of Australian Government regarding the virus, after that call, in my mind, I knew that if, for some reason, somebody tested positive on the plane, I’m going to have to quarantine for 14 days, so I was prepared to take that risk.”
Sitak, que estava no vôo do coronga, deu uma perspectiva diferente da que muitos tenistas estão comentando por aÃ. Ele disse que a Tennis Australia fez uma call com os jogadores um tempo atrás e muitos escolheram não participar. pic.twitter.com/invEqBDO07
— Aliny Calejon (@alcalejon) January 16, 2021
Sitak urged players whining about their conditions to consider the plight of other Australians stuck abroad.
“I think we need to put some things into perspective where a lot of Australians right now cannot get back home because of restrictions and we, as foreigners of over a thousand people in Australia, we are going to be competing in a grand slam earning a lot of money,” he said.
“So just wanted to give a little perspective where I think we are still lucky to be here and (it’s) unfortunate circumstances with the quarantine, but that’s how it is.”
Corrections Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar stressed quarantine was for the players’ and public’s good.
“Quarantine is hard and we know that it is a very new and difficult arrangement for them, probably very unusual circumstances to what they are used to,” Cassar said.
“This is in place to keep them safe and keep the Victorian community safe, and we make no apologies for that.
“We need to make it clear to the players and their support crews that if they did something, do not come out of the room. And pick up the phone, we are there to help.”
‘@ ME, KIDS’: STUBBS LASHES ENTITLED TENNIS STARS
Former Australian tennis player Rennae Stubbs has hit out as entitled players forced into lockdown, reminding those complaining about their circumstances that they have a minimum $100,000 payday on the horizon and have not had to pay for anything thus far.
Amid backlash and complaints from a handful of players now confined to their hotels rooms as a result of positive COVID tests on two charter flights, Stubbs has invited any of the complaining players to ‘@’ her and discuss.
“I have opinions on these tennis players complaining about the quarantine situation here in OZ & for the Australian Open & they’re NOT going to want to hear it from me,” Stubbs tweeted.
“Its got something to do with a minimum of $100,000, free flights, food & lots more, want to talk @ me kids?”
I have opinions on these tennis players complaining about the quarantine situation here in OZ & for the @AustralianOpen & theyre NOT going to want to hear it from me. Its got something to do with a minimum of $100,000, free flights, food & lots more, want to talk @ me kids? pic.twitter.com/BuxN0iTM43
— Rennae Stubbs OLY (@rennaestubbs) January 17, 2021
I agree...if they would have told us this rule before i would not play Australia...I would have stayed home. They told us we would fly at 20% capacity, in sections and we would be a close contact ONLY if my team or cohort tests positive . https://t.co/kF58HEijqq
— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) January 16, 2021
Among the players complaining are Belinda Bencic and Sorana Cirstea both of whom say the decision to restrict players from training presents an unfair advantage to others.
“I would need at least 3 weeks after in order to be in decent form again and compete at a high level,” said Cirstea.
“People complaining we are entitled. I have no issues to stay 14 days in the room watching NetFlix.
“Believe me this is a dream come true, holiday even. What we can’t do is COMPETE after we have stayed 14 days on a couch. This is the issue, not the quarantine rule.
“I was planning to play the tournament because they promised daily 5 h quarantine exemption where we could go practice, do a gym session and rehab. This was the deal before signing up to this … but the rules changed “overnight”!”
I would need at least 3 weeks after in order to be in decent form again and compete at a high level! https://t.co/5X9YYdRmnH
— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) January 16, 2021
People complaining we are entitled. I have no issues to stay 14 days in the room watching netflix. Believe me this is a dream come true, holiday even. What we cant do is COMPETE after we have stayed 14 days on a couch. This is the issue,not the quarantine rule.
— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) January 16, 2021
I agree...if they would have told us this rule before i would not play Australia...I would have stayed home. They told us we would fly at 20% capacity, in sections and we would be a close contact ONLY if my team or cohort tests positive . https://t.co/kF58HEijqq
— Sorana Cirstea (@sorana_cirstea) January 16, 2021
Preparation for @AustralianOpen with @NastiaPav is in progress😛 #DD pic.twitter.com/RG1EtL66Dl
— Daria Kasatkina (@DKasatkina) January 16, 2021
The Romanian also echoed French Alize Cornet’s sentiments that the rules had been changed without player consultation — an unsubstantiated claim.
“If they would have told us this rule before I would not play Australia … I would have stayed home,” she said.
“They told us we would fly at 20% capacity, in sections and we would be a close contact ONLY if my team or cohort tests positive .”
Ok people, this is getting too much for me, so I will delete the tweet. Probably better for everyone 😊 Stay safe !
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 16, 2021
This seems to be a very sensitive subject and I understand it. We are privileged, indeed, but please try to get our point of view too. And btw, I was not in this plane
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 16, 2021
The player complaints come as There are no plans to call off the Australian Open despite three positive COVID tests resulting from two charter flights bringing players into Australia, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley says.
Speaking Sunday after it was revealed the latest positive test was returned by a WTA player’s coach, Tiley has moved to assure the public that everything is being done to ensure people’s safety.
Currently 72 players from two charter are in hard lockdown as a result of positive tests which are believed to have come from two coaches and one member of flight crew.
Acknowledging this and looking to calm the public anxiety, Tiley spoke this morning.
“Ideally it’s not what we wanted,” Tiley said on Channel 9.
“We have had 643 negative tests and three positives.
“We always knew there would be significant risk with this pandemic you can never tell.
“(But) The Australian Open is going ahead and we will do what we possibly can to ensure that the players that don’t have a great situation have that is somewhat acceptable.
“The first objective is that everyone remains as healthy as possible and not the cause of further spread within the double of the virus and causes more people to be in lockdown.
“But the Australian Open starts on February the 8th.
“We are reviewing the schedule leading in to see what we can do to assist these players.
“We have to manage an environment over the next 14 days for those players who unfortunately are not going to have the same conditions of those who are able to get out and practice and that is tough on them.”
Responding to claims players their entourage were not told entire plane loads of passengers would be placed into lockdown, Tiley explained the processes that had been carried out prior to all travel.
The decision, Tiley said, came from the chief health officer.
“We had 17 planes come from seven different industries from around the world. We ensured that those planes were not more than 25 per cent full.
“Just because if someone was positive or there were several people that were positive we would do everything that we possibly can to protect the safety and the health of those individuals on the plane. That was our first objective.
“Secondly, the determination who was and who wasn’t a close contact, was going to be entirely up to the Health Department. They are doing what they deem as necessary in order to keep your community safe.
“The conditions are constantly changing. There is always a risk. That is why we made it clear at the beginning, there was always a risk that someone would be positive then and go into 14 days of isolation.
“There was a risk on the plane that you would be a close contact.
“There would be a risk that everyone could be a close contact. You don’t know what the outcome of that decision or risk will be until it actually happens.
“It is unfortunately that we are in an environment right now where we have to manage it. It is a tough situation.”
Cornet was frank in her assessment of the situation on Saturday.
She has branded it “insane” and claims players were told each plane was divided into small sections that would be quarantined in the event of a positive result.
“Soon, half of the players from the AO will actually have to isolate,” she said on Twitter.
“Weeks and weeks of practice and hard work going to waste for one person positive to Covid in a 3/4 empty plane. Sorry but this is insane
“We are also playing by the rules and doing the 14 days quarantine ourselves, with just 5 hours outside per day, safe and supervised, in order to work and be ready for the AO coming up. I just think that these measures are not made to hold an international tennis event.
“We’ve been told that the plane would be separated by section of 10 people and that if one person of your section was positive, then you had to isolate. Not that the whole plane had to.”
She is not the only player to voice concerns with others concerned with how they can be expected to compete after two week without practise.
The likes of Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Angelique Kerber and defending champion Softia Kenin are believed to be among the big names now holed up in their rooms until at least January 29.
Flights affected flew in from Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi after the latter city had just hosted a WTA event.
All players and passengers were informed yesterday and sent the following by Tiley.
“We know this is not how you imagined your preparations for the AO would start but our entire team is here to support and do everything we can to get your through this.
“You will soon be contacted by our medical experts Aspen Medical if you haven’t been already.
“They are available 24/7 to support you with all your medical, mental health or wellbeing concerns.
“The most important thing you need to know right now is you are not alone in this and we are here to provide you any extra support you need.”
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