The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) issued a statement on Thursday to express its support and solidarity with the Spanish players who are currently suffering the consequences of confinement in Australia. Respecting the decisions of the Australian Government and Tennis Australia, the RFET wishes to highlight the following:
The players were warned and informed of their exclusion from the Australian Open and of their entry into the country if they were positive in one of the many PCR tests that were carried out. However, they were not informed about the possibility that they would be severely confined if they traveled on the same plane with a passenger who tested positive, without taking into account the physical proximity of the players affected with that positive.
“We understand all the precautions and measures taken for the good of the health of players, spectators, workers and residents, but we believe that these measures should have been compatible with the mental and physical health of the athletes,” the Federation statement continues. «In the specific case of two Spanish players, the situation is very complex and seriously compromises all these aspects. Mario Vilella and Carlos Alcaraz (a minor) are confined in a room without being able to leave for 14 days when they have both performed multiple PCRs that have been negative, “he explains.
According to the RFET, «it is evident that these 2 players, with access to the final draw of the Asutralian Open, will not be able to compete on equal terms with the rest of the players. And it is no longer just a strictly competitive problem of this first Grand Slam. The point is that their season could be seriously damaged by a 14-day confinement. The affected tennis players are elite athletes who need to stay active in order to perform and not injure themselves. Not to mention the psychological damage that affects the athlete in a sport in which the mental aspect is so demanding.
For all the above, the Federation asked Tennis Australia “to try to solve the problem of the most affected tennis players; Mario Vilella and Carlos Alcaraz, Spanish players who are directly under our scope of action ».
.
