Tennis stars set free from quarantine

Not every player is happy as the world’s best prepare for an unprecedented month of tennis in Melbourne.

3 min read

8:26PMJanuary 28, 2021.

Updated 4:26PMJanuary 29, 2021

Eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will head from quarantine and on to the courts at Memorial Drive in Adelaide for an exhibition match on Friday Picture: Getty Images

The staged exodus of global tennis stars from quarantine began on Thursday night ahead of an unprecedented calendar of tournaments in Melbourne next week leading into the Australian Open.

More than 1200 players and other Australian Open affiliated personnel will complete quarantine in either Melbourne or Adelaide by Sunday and be free to enter the community before playing.

Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are among those in Adelaide who are now free to compete in an exhibition in Adelaide on Friday also featuring Ash Barty.

Those exiting quarantine will have undergone a final COVID-19 test and had their symptoms monitored.

They will receive an end-of-detention notice detailing the 30-minute window in which they will be able to exit one of the three Melbourne hotels they are staying in.

Of the 966 Australian Open arrivals in quarantine in Victoria, eight had recorded positive tests since landing in Melbourne a fortnight ago from almost 11,000 tests.

Champions including Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have been among those to stress their acceptance of quarantine measures adopted to ensure the safety of the general public.

Dual-grand slam champion Simona Halep, who faces Barty in Adelaide on Friday night, praised Tennis Australia and government officials.

“Everything is going well,” she told The Australian.

“We have today and one more day of quarantine and then we are free. It has been a little bit tough but it was good. I can’t complain. It will be good to see people.”

Victoria recorded its 19th straight day of zero COVID-19 community cases, a streak the state is desperate to continue.

Spaniard Paula Badosa is the only player to have recorded a positive test and will not be able to depart her health hotel until next week, depending on her recovery.

But the controversy surrounding the strict quarantine of some players continues to simmer, with the player who provoked the initial furore from Los Angeles firing off another disgruntled missive.

Tennys Sandgren — who sparked confusion a fortnight ago when he was allowed to board a flight to Melbourne despite a positive test — was not satisfied.

Twice an Australian Open quarter-finalist, the American was allowed to travel because his positive test related to the case of the killer virus he contracted in November.

Sandgren, who has served strict quarantine, was alarmed when he realised the period of lockdown was 24 hours longer than he anticipated.

Nick Kyrgios during a practice session in preparation for the Australian Open. Picture: Tennis Australia

“That is also another day when we can’t practise. So that is (train) Saturday, Sunday, Monday, play a match on Tuesday. A match. A competitive tennis match, ” he said in a video post.

“That is 15 days off hitting, 16 days, three days hitting. Tennis match. My name is Tennis Australia and I am soooo cool.”

The American later claimed “it was only banter”.

He and the other 71 players in strict quarantine will be among the last to be set free.

It reduces the time they have to prepare for tournaments in Melbourne next week, though tour officials have put in place procedures in a bid to reduce the disadvantage they have experienced as much as possible.

The first of the tournament draws for the staggering six different events to be held at Melbourne Park in the week leading into the Australian Open will occur on Friday.

The draws for the WTA 500 tournaments called the Gippsland Trophy and Yarra Valley Classic are scheduled for 4pm.

The latter event will feature a field that includes Barty, Serena Williams and reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

The two ATP Tour events — the Murray River Open and the Great Ocean Road Open — will hold their draws on Saturday.

The former will feature Nick Kyrgios in his return to play for the first time since an event in Mexico last February.

The Grampians Open, which is for WTA Tour players who have served hard quarantine, will unveil its draw on Monday and begin on Wednesday to allow those women additional time to prepare.

The draw for the ATP Cup, a teams event featuring 13 of the top 15 players and an Australian side headed by Alex de Minaur, has already been held.

Having been forced out of Melbourne Park when the quarantining cohort arrived, Australian players are anxious to hear when they can return to the precinct to practise.