Benoit Paire has tested positive for COVID-19 at the US Open. Paire played the Western & Southern Open last week, retiring after just eight games to Borna Coric with the reason for his withdrawal stated on the official documents illness. It is uncertain whether this illness was caused by the coronavirus, but the Frenchman was clearly feeling unwell at that point. At the US Open, he was supposed to face Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, but following his withdrawal, Marcel Granollers will take his spot in the main draw.
This is the second positive test inside the bubble. Last week, Guido Pella and Hugo Dellien’s fitness coach had to be quarantined, with Dellien and Pella forced to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open as a result. Both players have been tested repeatedly since without a positive result and will feature in the upcoming Grand Slam.
Paire is currently asymptomatic, but it is very important for the organizers to establish whether or not he has infected anyone else. According to L’Equipe, five more people were asked to stay in their hotel rooms until further notice, including former semifinalist Richard Gasquet, Adrian Mannarino and Gregoire Barrere, all of whom are in the singles draw in New York. Also currently being kept in their hotel rooms are doubles specialist Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Nicolas Copin, who is coaching at this year’s US Open.
USTA Statement on player testing positive for COVID-19 at the US Open pic.twitter.com/UGKVZVnoZZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2020
According to this statement, the aforementioned players are now in danger of also being excluded from the US Open. The United States Tennis Association will initiate contact tracing, looking for people who might have spent time with Paire in the past few days and are therefore at risk of being infected. Of the four players currently being confined to their hotel rooms, only Adrian Mannarino is supposed to take the court tomorrow. If he will be cleared to play, the Frenchman will take on Lorenzo Sonego.
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