Djokovic, Bautista Agut comment on respective quarantine controversies

Novak Djokovic and Roberto Bautista Agut have tried to clarify their controversial comments regarding the Melbourne quarantine.

Djokovic’s latest saga began last week, when he sent a letter to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley listing a series of requests for players who are under a strict two-week quarantine. The world No. 1, who is living lavishly by comparison in Adelaide, called for improved conditions for everyone.

“My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult, and ungrateful,” Djokovic posted on social media. “This couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Bautista Agut is one of the 72 players who arrived in Melbourne on flights in which someone on board tested positive for Covid-19. Those 72 players are confined to their hotel rooms for two weeks, not afforded the daily five-hour window for practice and training that other players are allowed.

Earlier this week, Bautista Agut–like many others–complained about the situation.

“It’s the same (as prison); it’s the same, but with Wi-Fi,” he said in an interview that he did not think would be made public. “These people have no idea about tennis, about practice courts, no idea about anything. It’s a complete disaster because of that, because of the control of everything.”

The 13th-ranked Spaniard apologized after his comments caused an uproar in the media.

“I want to apologise to everyone who has been offended by the video that was posted about me recently,” he wrote. “It is a private conversation taken out of context that has unfortunately been released to the media without my knowledge or consent.

“Both my coach and I are following the protocols designed by the Australian government and Tennis Australia to avoid any risk and guarantee to compete again in a safe way. These are hard times for athletes and society in general.”

When the quarantine is over at the end of this month, a week of warmup tournaments will take place prior to the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open. On the ATP Tour, the ATP Cup and two Melbourne-based 250-point events are scheduled. The tour is discussing the idea of tinkering with the current entry lists such that one of the 250s will include players who are under strict quarantine and the other will include players who have been able to practice and train.