Ashleigh Barty enjoys the freedom of being outside the bubble of safety While the majority of tennis players are quarantined in their hotel rooms ahead of the Australian Open.
Remaining in Australia during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic the world number 1 avoided the two-week quarantine obligation that nearly 1,000 tennis players and their team endured once they set foot in the kangaroo country.
After Melbourne Park is part of the safety bubble for international players, the hosts have been training on a court in the suburbs of Australia’s second-largest city.
“The taste is very unique. It felt almost like a camp if I had to be honest,” Ashleigh Barty told the Tennis Australia website.
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“For sure the players from Queensland, we usually train together, but now we are seeing players from Victoria for the first time in a while. Some of the men from South Australia were here, from the New South Welshmen also in attendance.”
“I think it’s like a really unique week and it’s also positive to get some varied shots. We all understand the situation we are in and we are just trying to do all the right things.”
The relatively free training conditions of the home players are inversely proportional to the tension surrounding the quarantine period for international tennis players.
Nine people associated with the Australian Open have tested positive for COVID-19, including four tennis players, since landing in Australia. On Monday (25/1) local time, the health authorities stated that they had not found any new cases related to the Australian Open, which is certainly a relief for the organizers.
While the majority of tennis players can train outside their hotel rooms during their 5-hour quarantine, more than 70 tennis players cannot even leave their rooms after several passengers on their charter flights tested positive for COVID-19.
On Sunday (24/1), Tennis Australia announced that there will be a new WTA tournament on February 3 – 7 which is aimed at preparing female tennis players who are undergoing strict quarantine.
One of the top doubles players, Jamie Murray sympathizes with those who can’t train.
“It’s stressful in the room alone and I’m sure it can increase anxiety,” says Murray.
“But all tennis players will have eight or nine days to prepare for the Australian Open and there are no restrictions on training. It’s not an ideal situation, of course, but as soon as the first round of the Australian Open arrives, I think all players can be at their peak.”
