By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 14, 2020
According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, Sam Querrey has fled Russia after testing positive for Covid-19.
Photo Source: AP
Sam Querrey, reportedly, has fled Russia after a positive Covid-19 test, and a worrying phone call from the Russian authorities.
News broke Wednesday in an 11-tweet thread from New York Times writer and host of the No Challenges Remaining Podcast, Ben Rothenberg. The news comes just a day after Querrey, ranked 49, was withdrawn from the St. Petersburg Open due to a positive Covid-19 test.
Follow the full thread here:
According to Rothenberg, Querrey, his wife, Abby, and his eight-month old son Ford, all tested positive. They became worried when they received a call from the Russian health authorities, and were told that they would receive a visit from a doctor and could potentially need to be hospitalized, depending on the symptoms they exhibited.
That caused a sudden action from Querrey, who hired a private jet to take him and his family out of the country.
The belief is that Querrey feared being separated from his child in addition to the threat of hospitalization.
If true, the decision to jet out of Russia could mean trouble for the American, as the ATP is investigating the matter and could potentially levy fines or a suspension against Querrey. It’s a tough situation for the tour, which is in the business of negotiating right-to-play agreements in every city they hold a tournament in as the pandemic rages. If they lose the faith of the governments they deal with it could spell shutdown of some events on tour.
On Wednesday journalist Jon Wertheim shared an email from the ATP which stated their concerns about an unnamed player, which is likely Querrey.
According to Covid-19 protocols put in place by the tour, Querrey could face fines of up to $100,000 or even a suspension, if his actions are deemed to be a “blatant” or “repetitive” breach of the measures put in place.
We await further statements from Querrey, who is believed to be hiding out at an undisclosed location, and the ATP.