American tennis player Sam Querrey was placed in isolation by Russian authorities after testing positive for the coronavirus and then left the country on a private plane, organisers of the St. Petersburg Open said Thursday.
The tournament said Querrey and his wife tested positive on Sunday, the day before play started. They tested negative on arrival in Russia four days earlier. Querrey was withdrawn from the competition and his family was asked to isolate at a hotel.
Organizers said Querrey did not open the door for doctors who came to examine the family on Monday, with the player saying his baby son was sleeping. The family then left the hotel before a second scheduled examination the next day.
“Sam Querrey, as the hotel's security cameras identified, left the hotel together with his family at 5:45 a.m. on Oct. 13 without informing the reception service. As Querrey told an ATP representative, he left Russia with his family on a private plane,” the tournament said, citing information from the ATP Tour.
The ATP said it was investigating an incident at the tournament, but did not name Querrey.
"The ATP is aware of an incident regarding a player’s serious breach of protocol relating to COVID-19 at this week’s St. Petersburg Open," the tour said. “Adhering to health and safety protocols is critical to ensure events take place safely and within the guidelines established by local authorities. Players and their support team members are reminded that breaches of protocol can jeopardize an event’s ability to operate and have repercussions on the rest of the Tour. In accordance with ATP’s Code of Conduct, we are taking this matter extremely seriously and an investigation is underway."
A spokesperson for the 49th-ranked Querrey did not immediately comment on the situation.
