Alex de Minaur dodges Covid risk amid US Open’s first positive virus test
Alex de Minaur is confining himself to his hotel room where possible after a COVID-19 scare on the eve of the US Open.
Alex de Minaur is confining himself to his hotel room where possible after a COVID-19 scare on the eve of the US Open resulted in a seeded player being pulled from the tournament.
Frenchman Benoit Paire, who is ranked 23, has tested positive to coronavirus after spending more than a week inside the tournament’s hotel “bubble” on Long Island.
Paire was immediately withdrawn from the event and is in isolation with his team, but officials are now scrambling to ascertain the health of at least 11 other possible contacts. Some are players.
De Minaur, the 21st seed, said he and a small entourage including his coach and physiotherapist were taking no risks.
“Me and my team are just trying to stay in our rooms as much as we can,” he said.
“We don’t really want to have too much interaction just in case, whatever happens, because that could really mean we are out of the tournament.”
US Open officials have been keen to avoid a fate similar to the disastrous Adria Tour organised by Novak Djokovic that resulted in the world No 1 and several other players testing positive to the virus.
De Minaur, who will open his US Open campaign against Andrej Martin on the second day of the tournament, said officials had moved quickly to identify players and others Paire had contact with.
The Frenchman retired from an opening-round match in the Cincinnati Masters — which was relocated to New York — last week, citing illness, when he was trailing 6-0 1-0.
Paire, who posted online footage of himself playing cards with some compatriots on Friday, underwent regular testing prior to posting a positive test on Sunday.
De Minaur said he believed a number of players and staff had been isolated in their hotel rooms as a result of the positive test by Paire, who tournament officials described as asymptomatic despite last week’s loss.
“I know there is a group of 10 or 11 players that have been given certain protocols since they were close to Benoit,” de Minaur said on a Facebook live chat from the bubble.
“I don’t know exactly what those protocols are or who those players were, but I do believe they are going to allow them to play.”
Both de Minaur, who reached the last 16 in New York in 2019, and coach to the stars Darren Cahill described as immense the lengths US tennis officials had gone to in trying to ensure a safe Open.
“What they have done here has been remarkable. I have got nothing but positive things to say about the USTA,” Cahill told RSN 927.
“They didn’t have to run this event. I am not sure they are making any money out of it, but if they are making any money out of it, it is not too much for the amount of hassle they have gone through.
“Dealing with getting players in from other countries into New York … it has been incredibly difficult for them, so to have only one positive test is a testament to how well the USTA have done.”
Cahill, whose current star Simona Halep opted out of travelling to New York, is providing analysis for ESPN during the tournament.
Marcel Granollers will replace Paire in the field. While clearly not ideal given the circumstances, there is a prospect the Australian contingent could be boosted if more players test positive and are forced to withdraw.
Max Purcell and Luke Saville, who reached the Australian Open doubles final and will make their US Open debut, are among a handful of alternates to sign on for singles duties.
De Minaur, who claimed the Cincinnati Masters doubles title last week with Pablo Carreno Busta, said life in the bubble was reasonable.
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Benoit Paire is the first player to test positive at the US Open bubble. Should be replaced by Granollers in the US Open draw. https://t.co/oY5Q4pXa75
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 30, 2020
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