World number one Novak Djokovic criticized the decision of the American Tennis Federation (USTA) to exclude two players from the Cincinnati tournament for having been in contact with a positive case of the coronavirus, reports the American sports television channel ESPN on Friday. The Argentinian Guido Pella and the Bolivian Hugo Dellien were excluded from the tournament relocated in the New York bubble of Flushing Meadows after having been, according to the USTA, in "close and prolonged contact" with their physical trainer Juan Manuel Galvan, tested positive for Covid-19 last Monday.
This decision sparked a wave of criticism in the ranks of ATP ranking players, in particular from Briton Andy Murray but also from Novak Djokovic who denounced a lack of clarity in the health protocol. “During a Zoom call a few weeks ago, we received information from the USTA Chief Medical Officer that if a player doesn't share a room with their coach, or their physio, or anyone from his team is infected, and if his results are negative, he can still participate in the tournament, ”said the Serbian player during a videoconference with journalists.
"Upset"
"That's why a lot of players were - are - upset, including myself when I see Pella and Dellien being treated this way," added Novak Djokovic, still quoted by ESPN. USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier told ESPN that the exclusion of Pella and Dellien was in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
“People in close contact with the infected person should be quarantined for 14 days. This is not a discretionary decision, ”he assured ESPN. Explanations swept away by Andy Murray for whom the rules were not clear to the players.
“Some players said 'Well I wouldn't have come with a coach or a physiotherapist if I had known I was,'” he said at a press conference. "I'm not saying it's not the right decision, but the players didn't know what the rules really were."
- Coronavirus
- Sport
- Tennis