Tennis players are 'privileged'

MELBOURNE • Rafael Nadal feels tennis players are privileged to be able to compete at the Australian Open amid the Covid-19 pandemic and urged his peers to have a wider perspective of the strict health measures in the country.

About 1,200 participants, including players and staff, were allowed to fly to Australia even as tens of thousands of citizens remain stuck overseas, unable to fly home due to a quota capping the number of returnees so as not to overwhelm the quarantine system.

Most are serving 14 days of isolation during which they are allowed five hours out of their rooms each day to train for the year's first Grand Slam, which has been delayed by three weeks and will be played from Feb 8-21.

But 72 players have been strictly confined to their rooms after positive Covid-19 cases were detected on the three charter flights that carried them to Melbourne.

Only the top three men's and women's players, including Nadal, as well as 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams are quarantining in Adelaide, where the conditions are much better, as they are due to play an exhibition event there tomorrow.

While the 20-time Slam winner said he felt "very sorry" for those under a hard quarantine, he admitted that the Australian authorities were right to impose tight regulations to maintain the stability of the Covid-19 situation.

"When we came here we knew that the measures were going to be strict because we knew that the country is doing great with the pandemic," the Spaniard told CNN.

"It's normal to complain in some way but on the other hand, when you have little bit wider perspective of what's going on... You see how many people are losing their father, their mum, without having the chance to say goodbye. It's a real thing, that's what's happening in my country for example. Close people to me are suffering this situation."

Australia has recorded more than 22,000 cases and 909 deaths from the coronavirus, reporting no new community cases for the 10th straight day yesterday.

After the 14-day isolation, which ends from tomorrow to the weekend, players will be allowed to train normally and then compete at tune-up events next week.

"The world is suffering in general, so we can't complain," Nadal added.

"You have to stay a little more positive. I feel that we are privileged people today, having the chance to keep doing our jobs."

Organisers also received backing from Williams, who has travelled to Australia with three-year-old daughter Olympia.

"It's super, super strict, but it's really good," she said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

"It's insane and super intense, but it's super good because after that, you can have a new normal like we were used to this time last year in the United States.

"It's definitely hard with a three-year-old to be in the hotel all day, but it's worth it because you want everyone to be safe at the end of the day."

Meanwhile, the number of positive Covid-19 tests linked to the Australian Open has been downgraded to eight after authorities reclassified one of the cases - a man in his 40s who is not a player - as a previous infection, health officials said yesterday.

They also confirmed another positive case, an American coach identified as Edward Elliott, had been "medically cleared" to leave isolation, leaving the total number of active cases at seven.

REUTERS