Australian Open 2021: Tennys Sandgren’s selfish move shows players must do more

Any player caught breaching the quarantine rules has to suck it up and accept the consequences. So much sacrifice has gone into the Aus Open. Stop moaning.

2020 Australian Open Tennis - Day Nine. Tennys Sandgren (USA) in action against Roger Federer (SUI) in their quarterfinal match on Rod Laver Arena. Picture: Mark Stewart

I can’t imagine Tennys Sandgren is the most-popular guy with Australian Open organisers right now. And rightly so.

Shooting your mouth off about COVID positive tests and making misleading statements ahead of an event hundreds of players are desperate to see go ahead was nothing short of selfish and shortsighted.

After months and months of planning, security briefings and organisation, not to mention the millions of dollars spent, why are you live-tweeting the fact you might be positive knowing the shit storm it would generate?

He’s created drama and what for? Whether it was intentional, who knows? But the guy has form when it comes to created hype.

Tennys Sandgren caused a massive stir on social media this week

Not only that, he was relaying disingenuous information when he appeared to directly thank AO chief Craig Tiley for his seat on the plane despite admitting he had recently tested positive for COVID (regardless that he was now not contagious).

Getting on that flight was not Tiley’s decision, it all came down to getting the green light from health authorities.

So why throw Craig under the bus? The man who is going to all lengths to get people to the tournament so they can earn a living. The man is doing everything he can for the sport of tennis and that’s what he gets from a top-50 player? I was speechless.

The drama he’s created continues now given it was the flight he was on that has the two new positive cases and, while it’s doubtful he is the cause of this, it will be guilt by association - and he’s created that situation for himself.

Covid positive over thanksgiving
Covid positive on monday

Yet pcr tests are the “gold standard”?

Atleast I get to keep my points 😂

— Tennys Sandgren (@TennysSandgren) January 13, 2021

Because of his actions, more and more people are questioning the safety of the Australian Open when we should be praising the sacrifice that has gone into getting things this far.

If Melbourne doesn’t host, another city will. We need to get back to some kind of ‘new normal’.

And we need to stop the argument of players being allowed in but stranded Aussies not. These flights have not taken a single seat away from Australians overseas.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but maybe it would have been better if they just refused to get Sandgren on the flight.

A cleaner outside the Pullman Albert Park Hotel. The Pullman is one of the hotels being used to quarantine International tennis players competing in the Australian Open.

Tennis Australia (TA) has become the punch bag. They’re being blamed for things which have nothing to do with them and which are totally beyond their control.

They are doing everything they can to give players – some of whom have not earned money in almost a year – a lifeline.

Working with governments, the ATP and the WTA, TA is doing everything they can to keep the sport going – they’re even investing $70 million or more of their own money to keep this tournament afloat.

Players like Sandgren should be showing more gratitude.

What he’s done is shine a light on the responsibility players have. TA and the government can get every tiny detail in place from a security and health point of view but nothing goes smoothly without player buy-in.

They are all clear on the rules, they have to follow them – no questions.

If there are breaches – the ultimate blame has to be put on the players.

Tennis players, coaches and officials arrive at a hotel in Melbourne

The players owe it to themselves, their fans and their sport to make this happen.

Sandgren is a classic example of someone not doing the necessary to promote his sport. There’s been an overwhelming notion in recent years that so many players just do what’s right for them. The responsibility of promoting the sport has, for too long, always fallen on a handful of big names. It shouldn’t be this way.

Tennis players, coaches and officials arrive at a hotel in Melbourne

This isn’t the first time COVID has impacted a major event and it won’t be the last. What we should all be grateful for is how strict things are here and, in turn, players need to respect it.

We now have 80 people – some of whom would have fancied their chances of winning the Australian Open - holed up in hard lockdown with an exercise bike as company for 14 days.

It’s the worst way you could spend the build up to a grand slam.

I’m sure the players won’t be looking to point the finger of blame but they obviously won’t be happy about it. But this could happen to anyone, anywhere. This virus is unavoidable.

I don’t see it happening, but if any player comes out of this two-week lockdown and wins the Australian Open, it would be one hell of a story.