Benoit Paire’s extraordinary outburst slamming the Australian Open is tone deaf and shameful

He’s won $100k and had all expenses paid but Benoit Paire says the Aus Open is ‘s**t and shameful’. Is he for real? His outburst was childish and tone deaf.

France's Benoit Paire reacts on a point against Austria's Dominic Thiem during their during their group A ATP Cup men's singles tennis match in Melbourne on February 5, 2021. (Photo by Paul CROCK / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

The only thing “shameful” was Benoit Paire’s tone deaf reaction to his first-round Australian Open defeat.

It was inevitable some tennis stars would lay blame for poor form at the feet of strict Australian quarantine requirements.

To some extent, that might be fair.

But Frenchman Paire went a step too far, double-faulting in the aftermath of his tournament exit on Monday.

One of 72 players forced into a 14-day hard quarantine after someone on his charter flight to Melbourne tested positive for COVID-19, Paire unashamedly unloaded on tournament organisers after a four-set loss to Egor Gerasimov.

“I think it’s s**t, and what happened is shameful,” Paire told French publication L’Equipe.

“I’m very disappointed with this tournament.

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France's Benoit Paire has lashed Australian Open organisers.

“This match, I could have won it if I had had one or two more training sessions, a normal preparation.”

Paire went on to claim double-standards after players on a flight to Adelaide did not have the same strict quarantine requirements as those who landed in Melbourne, despite also having a positive COVID-19 case onboard.

He also said money was the only reason the tournament was going ahead, as compromised as it supposedly was.

“It’s all about the money. That’s it, actually. There is a huge loss if they don’t make the tournament,” he said.

If Paire was an immature 20-year-old, you could perhaps brush over his rant.

However, he turns 32 this year and should know better.

Players knew what they were signing up for.

They might not have expected to have to do 14-day hard quarantine, but it was always a possibility.

The fact that many players were able to go into a “soft” quarantine – unlike any regular Australians returning home who are confined to their hotel room for 24 hours a day – was good fortune.

France's Benoit Paire was furious with how players were treated

Double-standards is something Australians have been living with for 12 months and many Victorians were not even supportive of having tennis players come to Melbourne.

It came at a time when tens of thousands of citizens remain stuck overseas and Victoria had not long crushed its second-wave following a guelling lockdown that lasted 16 weeks.

There have been double-standards between Australian states and even within states ever since the pandemic hit.

And the reason Paire came to Australia was exactly what he was complaining about – money.

Even a first-round loser like himself walks away with $100,000 – among a total prize pool for players of $80 million this year.

Paire’s home country of France has recorded more than 3.3 million cases of COVID-19 and almost 80,000 deaths.

Like much of Europe, France has gone through strict lockdowns and still has a 6pm to 6am curfew in operation.

If Paire wanted to stay there and skip a “really crap” Australian Open, he could have.