Australian Open 2021: Roberto Bautista Agut rant; tennis COVID cases rise

Spanish tennis talent Roberto Bautista Agut has apologised for his remarks about Australian Open quarantine, saying they were “taken out of context”.

World No.13 Roberto Bautista Agut has apologised for his remarks likening Australian Open quarantine rules to “prison, but with Wi-Fi”.

The 32-year-old made the concession late on Tuesday “to everyone who was been offended by the video about me”.

He said it was “a private conversation taken out of context that has unfortunately been released to the media without my knowledge or my consent”.

In his Twitter post, Bautista Agut thanked everyone who had made the tournament possible.

“The management that has been made in Australia to prevent the spread of the virus is admirable,” he said.

✍🏻 pic.twitter.com/I8Y3bx7QK7

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) January 19, 2021

Earlier, the Spanish 2019 Australian Open quarter-finalist spared Tennis Australia in his rant and instead took aim at the Victorian government.

“These people (Victorian government) have no idea about tennis, about sports, no idea about anything,” Bautista Agut told Israel’s Sport 5, “So it’s a complete disaster, because of the control of everything, it is not Tennis Australia, it’s the people from the government.

“I did work out in the room but it’s not the same as my house, it feels very tight and I cannot imagine staying like this for two weeks – it’s really rough, it’s not easy I have to work a lot mentally and be patient. It’s like jail.”

Exclusive: world number 13 @BautistaAgut rips the authorities in Australia ahead of AUSTRALIAN OPEN. "It's like a jail here" pic.twitter.com/PWwQL7ngES

— Sport5 (@sport5il) January 18, 2021

Roberto Bautista Agut compared Melbourne’s hard quarantine to prison. Picture: AAP

Bautista Agut’s comments came after former world No.11 Alize Cornet was forced to issue a grovelling apology to Melburnians following a tweet calling tennis players’ quarantine “insane”.

On Monday, Scott Morrison called on Australian Open competitors to follow Victoria’s quarantine rules.

On his first day back from holidays, the Prime Minister said: “It’s time people followed the rules, do their quarantine, play tennis, and they’ll get paid well for it.”

He said the decision to hold the event was not preventing Australians from travelling home from overseas.

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
1/2

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 17, 2021

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 🙏
2/2

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 17, 2021

MORE CASES LINKED TO OPEN

Three of the four new COVID-19 cases recorded in Victoria on Tuesday are linked to the Australian Open, Premier Dan Andrews has confirmed.

Each person is in hotel quarantine.

Tennis Australia appeared to refute Prof Sutton’s statement with boss Craig Tiley telling media that “none” of the positive cases were players.

Speaking at his daily press conference on Tuesday, Mr Andrews flagged some cases related to the tennis may now be classified as shedding rather than positive cases with an update from public health official expected later today.

“I can foreshadow the number of cases that are linked to the Australian Open, I believe … have been reclassified as shedding rather than being actively infected, but I’ll leave it to the public health experts to update you,” he said.

It is not yet clear whether this will change the circumstances for some players currently in quarantine.

It comes as two Australian tennis greats called for the hotel-bound tennis stars to “get some perspective”.

American tennis player Mackenzie McDonald quarantining at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park. Picture: Mark Stewart

Melbourne-based Todd Woodbridge and John Alexander have noticed a shift within the quarantined playing crew after intense backlash to their complaints about their living conditions.

France’s Alize Cornet even went to the extent of deleting her “tactless” weekend complaints and replacing them with an apology and acknowledgment of what Victorians went through in lockdown.

Alexander, an Australian Open semi-finalist, said the international arrivals had received a dose of reality.

“They’re all a bunch of individuals and they live in a bit of a bubble,” Alexander said.

“The players who make a little more money, they travel with their own entourage, have their own coach … and there’s a lot of agreement, whereas here they’ve got to deal with a real authority.

“It’s not just an umpire who they can abuse and pay a fine. This is a government authority that’s dealt with life and death matters in Victoria.”

Doubles legend Woodbridge said the public’s “abrasive” reaction to the tennis stars would’ve taken them by surprise.

“They have to make a different plan to work with what they’ve got,” Woodbridge said.

“To take a step back, if the Open hadn’t gone ahead and we hadn’t got to this point, the tennis calendar would be decimated and the opportunity for points and livelihood would be desperate.

“So to still have the opportunity, I think, is hugely important for the players to remember.”

Todd Woodbridge says the players should be thankful they still have the opportunity to play. Picture: AAP

Woodbridge felt the 17 charter flights arriving in Melbourne and Adelaide on Friday was confirmation the tournament would go ahead despite the setbacks of recent days.

Alexander differs slightly, believing there is still “a very small chance” of the Open being cancelled or postponed.

What they do agree on is there’s still time for all players to be grand slam ready – even if their preparation is compromised – as does former Australian Open chief executive Paul McNamee.

McNamee was having none of Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea’s comment that she needed “at least” three weeks to compete at a high level.

“Ideally, yes, but for best-of-three sets, I’m struggling to agree with that,” McNamee said.

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

Six-times doubles grand slam champion Rennae Stubbs, who now coaches Sam Stosur, also took moaning players to task.

“I have opinions on these tennis players complaining about the quarantine situation here in OZ and for the Australian Open and they’re NOT going to want to hear it from me,” Stubbs tweeted.

“It’s got something to do with a minimum of $100,000, free flights, food and lots more. Want to talk @ me kids?”

Australian tennis’ married couple, Luke Saville and Daria Gavrilova, think some of their playing peers need to “get some perspective”.

“I just think they didn’t expect it, because all the other countries treat their coronavirus situation differently, so they didn’t know what they were in for,” Gavrilova said.

“Normally, we’re travelling in the bubble, and tennis is trying to protect us, whereas right now we have no community transmissions.

“The best outcome after AO will be no cases – but the players, I don’t think they realise that.”