New York, Aug 25 (EFE) .- The organizers of the US Tennis Open assured this Wednesday that the press conferences offered by tennis players after each match are “extremely important”, and pointed out that their character will not change. Mandatory despite the controversy caused by Naomi Osaka’s departure from Roland Garros for refusing to speak to the press.
“Making players available to speak to the media is very important to our fans. There are no changes to our rules and they will be applied fairly to all of our players,” tournament director Stacey Allaster said in a telephone news conference.
“But there is flexibility in terms of the health of athletes,” he specified.
The statements come ahead of the New York tournament, which begins next Monday, and after Osaka did not want to speak to journalists after the matches due to his mental health, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the French Grand Slam. .
Despite announcing that the rules of the US Open have not changed, Allaster did speak of the importance of the mental health of tennis players in the face of their appearances in front of the media.
“We have done it in the past. If someone has injured their ankle or they cannot go to the formal press conference, there is a medical evaluation and the doctors will make a decision,” he said.
Allaster also spoke of the possibility in the future of opting to replace the press conferences with a “less formal” format, or that it be “the next day” instead of a few minutes after the game, or that a series of questions are broadcast. to the player through the communication department staff rather than in person.
The organizers of the US Tennis Open also explained that this year they do not intend to prevent cases of coronavirus infection from occurring in the tournament, but not to produce an outbreak, which would explain the few regulations imposed on the public who wants to. attend games.
“The goal is not to prevent covid cases. The goal is really to make sure that there is no unusual or regrettable covid outbreak,” explained Brian Hainline, member of the US Tennis Association medical advisory board. (USTA).
The tournament has gone from not allowing the presence of supporters in a single match in 2020 to giving access to all the main draw matches without the need to present a negative covid test or vaccination certificate.
They will also not be required to wear a mask outdoors, which includes stadiums, not even when the roof has to be closed on the Arthur Ashe or Louis Armstrong if it starts to rain, and their temperature will not be taken at the entrance of the venue. .
The USTA has limited itself to “recommending” the use of masks outdoors to all those who are not vaccinated, and to request proof of vaccination from all those who want to access dining rooms that are indoors, following the rules imposed by the authorities in the New York State.
“There is absolute confidence in the 2021 covid protocols, which have been developed by the USTA medical advisory council, following the general rules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” Allaster said.
The director of the championship also pointed out that in New York the vaccination rate is almost 70%, and pointed out that in the last 12 months it has become clear that the isolation of tennis players and the strict rules in tournaments is detrimental to their mental health .
This year, tennis players will not have to stay in last year’s “bubble”, so they have the option of staying outside of official hotels, and will not have to quarantine upon arrival in New York.
They will be tested for covid upon arrival in the metropolis, which will be repeated every four days, and unlike the 2020 version, tennis players and their teams will be able to visit the Big Apple.
