Both members of an unnamed men’s doubles team have been forced to withdraw from the French Open after testing positive for COVID-19.
Key points:
- The French Tennis Federation said the pair were the first positive tests out of 2,446 conducted at the tournament so far
- They have been placed in quarantine and will be replaced in the draw by the first alternate team
- Players are living in a bubble at Roland Garros, and crowds have been significantly capped
The players have been placed in quarantine, and the tournament has not identified them.
The first team on the alternate list for men’s doubles will replace the pair.
The French Tennis Federation (FTF) said these were the first two positives from the 2,446 coronavirus tests administered to players and their entourages since the start of qualifying rounds on May 24.
At the moment there is no suggestion the tournament will need to be stopped due to the positive tests.
Players have been living in a COVID bubble at Roland Garros to ensure social distancing.
The tournament’s start date was postponed in April as a rise in cases and hospitalisations in France drew concerns among organisers and players.
At the time, the FTF said the delay was to ensure more fans could attend matches. Currently up to 1,000 fans are allowed to watch matches on the show courts, but that will increase to 5,000 people from June 9.
However a 9:00pm curfew is currently in place in Paris, forcing attendees to leave midway through matches during the night session.
Last year’s French Open was held in September due to the pandemic, with crowds capped at 1,000.
ABC/AP
