Coronavirus: Behave and stop whingeing, Australian Open tennis stars told
Victorian health authorities have been forced to issue official warnings to Australian Open players about their behaviour in quarantine.
Victorian health authorities have been forced to issue official warnings to Australian Open players about their behaviour in quarantine following their chaotic arrival in Melbourne.
Instances of potential breaches in quarantine occurred as a split emerged between players as to the information they received from Tennis Australia regarding coronavirus safety protocols.
Despite the furore, which has been exacerbated by the fact Australians are stranded overseas and Victorians are stuck interstate by border restrictions, the Australian Open will proceed as planned.
However, a third flight of players to Melbourne will be forced into a strict 14-day quarantine after those who arrived from Doha on Saturday were notified late on Sunday night that an infected passenger was on their plane.
Chief Medical Officer Carolyn Broderick was scheduled to discuss the matter with the players last night but it means the 25 players who arrived in Melbourne on Saturday morning will join 47 Australian Open participants already forced to quarantine for the next fortnight without being able to train in the five-hour daily window they were initially allowed.
The passenger is not a player and had tested negative before the flight.
There were 58 passengers on the flight.
The quarantine row has forced the Victorian government to defend proceeding with the tournament and allowing foreign players to fly in while the border with NSW remains closed and Victorians cannot return home.
Victorian Energy Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the decision was based on health advice. “We know it is frustrating for many Victorians — no one can say anything different.” She said there had been more than 160,000 applications to enter Victoria received since the state introduced the traffic light permit system last Monday.
Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley conceded the tournament quarantine issue was “not an ideal situation” but said there would be no change to the February 8 starting date for the tournament. It is possible lead-in events may be affected by the player lockdown.
Four Australian Open-affiliated people have tested positive on flights from Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi.
Health authorities are working through the testing of the 17 charter flights in chronological order.
Several players on a flight from Abu Dhabi, which included leading Australian Open contenders, have complained about the predicament they find themselves in. They include Alize Cornet, Sorana Cirstea, Ons Jabeur and Belinda Bencic. All said they were not aware of the prospect all passengers on a plane could be quarantined if there was a positive test among the arrivals on their flight.
They believed only close contacts of or a cohort associated with a COVID-19 case would serve the strict quarantine without a window for practising.
Artim Sitak, a Russian-born New Zealand doubles player, challenged their assessment, saying the scenario was outlined in a conference call with players a month ago and he was surprise so few of his peers tuned in for the update.
He said it was important for his playing peers to view their situation through a broader lens. “I think we need to put some things in perspective,” he said. “A lot of Australians … can’t get back home because of restrictions … and we, as foreigners and over 1000 people here in Australia, are going to be competing in a grand slam and earning a lot of money.’’
Rennae Stubbs, who won six grand slam doubles titles, said the players should be grateful for the opportunity to play the Australian Open. “A lot of Australians would say, ‘Guys, you are looking a gift horse in the mouth complaining about this’,” she told Seven News.
COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Commissioner Emma Cassar said some players in Melbourne were “testing our procedures” — one player reportedly opened his door to boast about buying his entire floor Uber Eats. She said they could be fined up to $20,000 or moved to a hotel with a police guard if the behaviour continued.
American Tennys Sandgren, pictured yesterday gazing down from his quarantine hotel room in Melbourne on Sunday, was the first player to test positive to COVID-19 on his way to the Australian Open, but he was by no means the last with news that a third flight has now been affected.
Players are divided, snapping at organisers and each other on social media. Many of the original 47 are bemoaning the disadvantage they face. Others warn that when many Australians are trapped overseas and thousands of Victorians are unable to get home, complaining about a couple of weeks of quarantine is a bad look.
“Weeks and weeks of practice and hard work going to waste for one person positive to COVID in a 3/4 empty plane,” French star Cornet tweeted. “Sorry but this is insane.”
Former Australian player Rennae Stubbs hit back. “I would say there are a lot of Australians who would say, ‘Guys, you are looking a gift horse in the mouth complaining about this’,” she said.
Cornet later deleted the tweet and apologised.
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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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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 ðŸ™
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 17, 2021
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