Media reports: Australian Open - Novak Djokovic calls for measures for players in quarantine
As reported by the Spanish tennis portal Punto de Break , the world number one, Novak Djokovic, is said to have written a letter to the tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley. In this, the Serb calls for some measures that should guarantee better treatment of the quarantined players.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jan 17, 2021, 02:18 pm
For a long time, the issue of mandatory quarantine in the run-up to the Australian Open had been a controversial issue. While the Australian government insisted for a long time that all those entering Down Under had to go into isolation for a fortnight, the tournament director of the first Grand Slam of the year, the tournament director of the Australian Open, always argued that the players could not be asked for two weeks "Room arrest" to be ready for a Grand Slam.
Now the mandatory quarantine for the majority of players has been averted - the athletes are allowed to leave the room for five hours a day. Five hours in which a meticulously planned training routine must be adhered to. As it became known yesterday, Saturday, 72 players are still caught. Since four people tested positive for COVID-19 on the flights to Australia, all contact persons have to go into a "hard quarantine" - that is, fourteen days without training.
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On the same day that it became known, Craig Tiley assured the players in quarantine that they would be provided with fitness equipment. In addition, the early arrival ensured that, despite the isolation, there would still be eight to nine days to prepare for the major. Measures that fall short of the world's number one, Novak Djokovic. He is said to have written a letter to the tournament director to demand further measures for equality.
Djokovic calls for more far-reaching measures
As the Spanish tennis portal Punto de Break reported, the industry leader should directly call on the tournament management to ensure equality for the players concerned. Among other things, the Spanish medium names the following demands of the 17-time Grand Slam champion:
- Fitness and training material in all rooms
- Decent food, according to the level of the tournament and from an elite athlete
- Shorten the days of isolation for the isolated players, conduct more tests to confirm they are all negative
- Permission to visit the trainer or the physical trainer if both have passed the PCR
- If the previous suggestion has the green light that both the player and his coach be on the same floor of the hotel
- Move as many players as possible to private homes with a place to train
The Serbian world number one resides in Adelaide, where a large part of the absolute world elite prepare for the first major of the year under far better conditions. Dominic Thiem, Dennis Novak and Rafael Nadal are also present in Adelaide. There have been reports of not a single COVID-19 case on flights to this Australian city.
There is currently no official confirmation for the reports from Punto de Break .