French Open 2020: No report to the tournament doctor - ailing Alexander Zverev under criticism
Alexander Zverev left the French Open on Sunday in poor health. However, his handling of his symptoms in corona times caused a greater stir.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Oct 05, 2020, 10:36 am
"Maybe I shouldn't have played," said Zverev after his four-set defeat against the Italian youngster Jannik Sinner . "But somehow I was hoping for a three-set win." Zverev appeared at his virtual press conference wearing a mask, he was "completely ill", could hardly breathe and had a temperature of 38 degrees.
The question of whether Zverev shouldn't have played, however, can also be asked elsewhere - in the sense of: Would Zverev have been allowed to play at all with the corresponding symptoms?
Zverev initially let the tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg from the New York Times turn down the question about the last corona test. "No chance of me answering your question after what you've written about me over the past few months." Rothenberg tweeted the video of Zverev celebrating in Monte Carlo at the end of June - after Zverev actually wanted to go into quarantine after the scandalous Adria tour - and criticized Zverev several times for his behavior in Corona times.
In a statement from the French association, it finally said that Zverev was up-to-date with his tests. The last one was on September 29th (Tuesday), on Sunday he received a reminder for a new test, every five days there is an obligation to do this at the French Open until one is eliminated. Since this is now the case with Zverev, it seems questionable whether he was stopped for a new test.
Sick Zverev: Would he have been obliged to report?
Zverev himself stated that he did not believe in a COVID-19 infection. "I rather think it's the weather here. I don't have the correct symptoms of Corona," he said. "I really hope it isn't."
However, the 23-year-old would have been obliged to report his illness. This is reported by the New York Times with reference to the "Player FAQs" that were distributed to the players before the start of the tournament. When asked, "Should I withdraw from the tournament if I am not feeling well?" the answer is: "Our medical staff must be informed." In the event of symptoms such as fever or breathing problems, Zverev should have reported and had a test carried out. He would then not have had access to the stadium until the result and would have had to isolate himself.
Zverev himself had spoken of having caught a cold the night after his victory against Marco Cecchinato - that is, on Saturday night.
The tournament guidelines on health and safety also state that they are "based on the civic sense of duty and responsibility" for everyone who visits the tournament.
In general, the French Open has less stringent requirements than the US Open, the players are accommodated in hotels with normal tourists. "We were impressed by New York," Zverev said last week, "they haven't done that much here."
rg2020