Tennis is a sport in crisis and players seem to have no regard for COVID-19 protocols. How can the US Open go ahead?
Another tennis player has tested positive for COVID-19. A sport that was once so united and together is in free fall. Players seems to be doing what they want and it’s having catastrophic consequences on the sport, writes Sam Groth.
Tennis
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It seems like a different lifetime. The inaugural ATP Cup played followed by an epic Australian Open. Novak Djokovic crowned champion again and a maiden grand slam winner in Sofia Kenin.
The ATP Cup made headline after headline. A qualifying event plagued by the effects of smoke haze from the summer bushfires.
The reaction from players made our sport look solid and united. A group coming together to support a country in crisis. The biggest names all doing their part to raise millions of dollars to support the bushfire affected communities. It was heartwarming.
With tennis such an international sport, the actions of so many are often forgotten as soon as the tour leaves Australian shores.
Besides a handful of Aussies who remained home for a Davis Cup tie, it was off to California for the majority with the iconic Indian Wells next on the calendar.
Then chaos hit; California events cancelled, Miami, cancelled, the clay court season cancelled, grass season cancelled. COVID-19 was in full effect.
Sport paled an insignificance compared to the horror gripping the world.
Amid the pandemic came the calls for a player relief fund - led by Novak Djokovic -, that the top 50 should help those at the lower levels to keep their careers going. There were calls for the ATP and WTA to merge – another show of togetherness.
Tennis seemed to be building on the unity we had seen in January.
Fast forward to now and it all seems forgotten. Tennis is in crisis.
In the last month we have seen tournaments resume.
Events in Florida, Prague, France and even Australia have taken place.
And then there was the Adria Cup. Memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Djokovic making headlines for all the wrong reasons with him and three others returning positive COVID tests after being filmed dancing and partying with no regard for social distancing protocols.
Unfortunately, I tested positive late Friday for Covid-19 and have to withdraw from the All-American Team Cup special event in Atlanta this weekend. Over the past two months, I have been training in Florida and tested negative there as recently as a week ago pic.twitter.com/DeqR3eBxQo
— Frances Tiafoe (@FTiafoe) July 4, 2020
Add to that, Alexander Zverev, who, six days after releasing a statement that he would follow all medical advice, is seen out partying in the French Riviera.
Rightly, Nick Kyrgios and others called their stupidity out.
Idiotic actions with potentially catastrophic consequences.
The US Open is just seven weeks away and if it goes ahead, some incredible, unprecedented measures will have to be put in place.
It will require complete buy in from every single person associated with the event. Tennis needs January’s unity.
Personally, I say, it’s impossible.
Just look at what’s happened in Atlanta.
Frances Tiafoe the latest player to reveal a positive COVID result. He took to the court despite displaying symptoms.
If an event like Atlanta cannot get through two days without a positive test, what is there of a grand slams running?
Furthermore, how do players put their faith in every one of their peers and members of support staff to do the right thing?
Amid all the crises of 2020, COVID is not the biggest threat to our sport. We have become our own worst enemy.
There are too many governing bodies. There is no single avenue of communication and messaging to players. They’re all out doing what they want it seems.
For years the players have wanted and pushed for a player union and for years everyone seems to be okay with our sport going along the way it does.
Until the ATP, the WTA, and the ITF can all come under one banner tennis will continue down this road.
We need one voice in a time of crisis and this is hopefully as bad as it will ever get.
The biggest names in our sport have provided an incredible global platform for everyone and if we can’t capitalise on it the future of tennis is grim.
NOVAK MUST QUIT
Novak Djokovic has got to go. His position as president of the player council is laughable. He must resign.
While players and officials around the world are doing everything in their power to get our sport back up and running amid a global pandemic, the No 1 player in the world is filmed dancing, partying and hugging people in direct violation of all world health guidelines.
Would you want that person leading you?
What the hell was he thinking. Who the hell is advising him?
While Novak was dancing the limbo and hanging out with his mates, a host of other players were on a call trying to work out the logistics of restarting the tour. I’m told Novak was not even on that call. How can the president of a sport not be on that kind of call?
That’s not leadership.
Novak must know the only option he has is to resign. Players will have lost confidence in him. There’s no alternative.
Novak Djokovic has COVID-19. 5 other facts about Djokovic are:
— Jesse Blake (@JesseBlake) June 23, 2020
- He hosted a tennis tournament with no distancing protocols
- Threw a massive after tourney party
- He's an anti-vaxxer
- His wife Jelena shared a 5G conspiracy video
- He's a selfish idiotpic.twitter.com/OqAeHKvNNC
He is responsible for a COVID-19 outbreak. Numerous people have tested positive as a result of his event. I don’t care if he’s apologised or donated money to clinics. There was clearly no consideration of people’s health when that party went ahead. He didn’t get tested for days after Grigor Dimitrov revealed he had contracted the virus. Novak should have led by example.
Tournaments have taken place with no issue in other parts of the world. We’ve seen plenty of examples that sport can work in this pandemic but the onus is on every single person affiliated with it to act responsibly.
What Novak did stands to have further repercussions.
Take the US Open for instance. Taking into account players, support staff and organisers you’ve already got well over 1000 people to keep tabs on. Add to that catering, security and media.
Not one single person going to a bar or club, no one going for a Tinder hook up and not one person going to see a friend for dinner. How do you enforce that and rely on people to do the right thing when the No 1 player in the world has just done what he did?
If Novak misses the US Open the only thing he misses is the opportunity to increase the number of slams he has. He doesn’t need the money, he won’t care. He’s not trying to put food on the table back home or pay a mortgage in time.
We have had players applying for Centrelink as a result of the tour being on hold. Tennis is not all private jets and millionaire status.
His behaviour is selfish and so irresponsible and shows a total disregard for those on the tour who live tournament to tournament. If he just wants to be No 1 and live by his way of thinking – that’s fine but if so, step down as president.
We’re living in some pretty incredible times right now.
People with a profile have to be seen to be doing and saying the right thing. People look to their idols for comfort and guidance in times like this so thank god for Nick Kyrgios.
I’ve always been a supporter of Nick but the way he has spoken out against Djokovic, Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev and others this week shows just the kind of person he is. He stands up for what’s right.
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All too often people criticise Nick for his behaviour and remind him of his responsibility as a public figure so I hope people don’t forget about the damage Novak has done for a long time.
What Novak and his friends did is so much worse than anything Nick has ever done. You can’t even compare it.
Nick has never put people’s health and lives at risk.
Novak has potentially caused irreparable global damage to his sport and his peers. If the sport can’t recover soon there’s a genuine risk that some careers are over.
The careers of the very people Djokovic as player council president is supposed to be fighting for.
He must go.
Originally published as Tennis is a sport in crisis and players seem to have no regard for COVID-19 protocols. How can the US Open go ahead?