Disarray as 47 players affected after positive tests on Australian Open planes
- by Florence Jennings
- in Sport
- — Jan 17, 2021
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is believed to be among a group of players set to be confined to their hotel rooms for the next 14 days after two positive coronavirus tests emerged from their charter flight to Melbourne.
These flights from Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore and Los Angeles, carrying no more than 25 per cent of passenger capacity, were available only for qualified players who had cleared the PCR test before the day of travel.
Despite following all of the safety protocols, including receiving a negative test result within 72 hours before his flight, Bruneau said he tested positive shortly after arriving in Melbourne.
The players would not be able to leave their hotel rooms for 14 days and until they are medically cleared, they said. They will finish their isolation in time to participate in one of the warm-up events scheduled for the week prior to the Australian Open but they will be at a distinct disadvantage because they will not have had access to practice or fitness facilities.
World No. 3 and US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who will be playing for Austria in the ATP Cup warm-up event on Feb 1, travelled to Australia without his coach Nicolas Massu, who tested positive.
According to the Melbourne Herald Sun, the flight was the same one that sparked controversy on Thursday when American player Tennys Sandgren tweeted he had been allowed to board despite returning a positive test.
Swiss tennis player Belinda Bencic said after arriving in Melbourne, players received an information book with rules they did not know about before they made a decision to compete in the Australian Open. The passenger tested negative to their pre-departure test.
The International Tennis Federation said 20-year-old Yastremska tested positive for mesterolone metabolite, a prohibited substance that can be used to boost testosterone.
WA officials ‘confused, frustrated’ after feds reveal vaccine stockpile has been exhausted
Further exacerbating the confusion was a new program that would give more doses to states administering them the fastest. California counties are begging for more vaccine doses to reach millions of its senior citizens.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley issued a statement about the Los Angeles flight after an email sent to players had initially circulated about the incident.
He received special clearance after health officials determined he was not infectious, because he showed no symptoms and had previously tested positive for the virus in November. Tennis and Victorian health officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Her best result at Melbourne Park has been reaching the second round in 2019.
Australia has done a good job of containing the coronavirus, with 909 deaths nationally.
Andy Murray has recently contracted Covid-19 and has been forced to isolate at home, it has been confirmed.
Following criticism on Twitter, the world No. 50 said: "There's not a single documented case where I would be contagious at this point".
The only way that could occur is if Yastremska began her 14-day quarantine this week.
Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams will be among a group of players involved in an exhibition event in Adelaide, South Australia state, on January 29.
