First the start was postponed, now the athletes are stuck in their hotel rooms: The Australian Open is causing displeasure. Now new corona cases are said to have arisen.
The German tennis star Angelique Kerber takes her quarantine with humor. The Kiel woman was stuck in her hotel room in Melbourne, Australia, for two weeks and celebrated her 33rd birthday there. The Australian Open should start on February 8th. But before that there is resentment among some players.
“Weeks of training and hard work are for the cat because one person is COVID-positive in an airplane three-quarters empty,” tweeted the Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet and scolded: “Sorry, but that’s crazy.”
A total of more than 1,000 professionals and companions traveled down under in specially chartered aircraft. After positive test results in three machines, the authorities ordered a strict quarantine for 72 tennis professionals in the hotel rooms without opportunities for training – including Kerber.
To pass the time, the tennis professionals train in their rooms. Laura Siegemund and her partner Antonio Zucca play the balls over the bed, Aryna Sabalenka trains with the window pane. You can see how the professionals keep fit in quarantine in the video or above here.
Novak Djokovic called for quarantine relief
While Kerber and over 70 other people are stuck in their hotel in Melbourne and are not allowed on the training pitch, top players like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams or Naomi Osaka do not have this problem. They did not travel to Melbourne but to Adelaide and were not on the aircraft. You are allowed to train on the court despite quarantine regulations.
Nevertheless, according to the Australian media, Novak Djokovic asked Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley for a shorter quarantine period, better food and a move to private accommodation with a tennis court. Tiley rejected him and invited the tennis professionals to join the phone.
For the most part, the players behave really well
“There were about 500 players on the call and the vast majority are happy to be here and preparing for the event. The reports we are seeing don’t represent the entire group of players – for the most part, the players are doing really well “said Tiley afterwards.
Tiley also denied a message from the State of Victoria Health Minister Brett Sutton, according to which there were also two players among three new corona cases. “Of the six cases from the Australian Open contingent plus the one who was a flight attendant, there are no players,” Tiley said. “You belong to the escort of the professionals.”
Meanwhile, the French woman Alizé Cornet has apologized to the Australians for her tweet. When entering Australia, a hotel quarantine for a fee of two weeks is generally provided. According to the Foreign Office, tourists are currently not allowed to enter the country at all.
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