By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday December 31, 2020
The ATP has ruled on Sam Querrey's fabled flight from Russia, handing the American a suspended fine.
Photo Source: AP
Months after Sam Querrey made headlines for leaving St. Petersburg Russia in a private plane to avoid coronavirus quarantine, the ATP has handed the American a $20,000 suspended fine, which can be removed if he avoids committing any further breach of health and safety protocols over the next six months.
“The investigation reviewed the full circumstances surrounding the incident and concluded Mr. Querrey’s conduct to be contrary to the integrity of the game under the Player Major Offense provision in the ATP Code of Conduct. As a result, the ATP has issued a fine of US$20,000,” the ATP said in a statement.
“Taking into consideration Mr. Querrey’s many years of otherwise good standing with the ATP and other mitigating factors, the fine is suspended and will be lifted subject to Mr. Querrey committing no further breaches of health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 within a probationary six-month period. The player has five days to appeal the decision, should he choose to do so.”
Querrey and his wife, Abby, tested positive for Coronavirus at the St. Petersburg Open in October and were quarantining in their hotel before they fled the country.
Many have been quick to criticize Querrey for the obvious breach of conduct, but his compatriot Reilly Opelka came to his defense in a recent interview for Racquet Magazine.
Opelka hinted that officials went off-script caught the Querreys unawares, which set the American into a panic and caused him to make the decision to flee.
“The statement released on that situation completely contradicted what was in writing that we had as players,” Opelka said. “The rule was, if anyone in their camp tests positive they would quarantine in the Four Seasons Hotel, which we were staying at, which Sam was more than happy to do. He was 100 percent ready to follow that guideline, and he came into the country with that assumption because that was always what was in writing. Had that been in writing, had it been proposed what was going to happen, then Sam wouldn’t have brought his family.”
Querrey himself has yet to tell his story, or post about the incident on social media.
According to reports, Querrey had refused to answer the door to his hotel room when officials came knocking. He told them that his baby was asleep. The family then left the hotel before a second scheduled examination the next day.
Querrey wasn’t simply skipping a routine examination. He reportedly flew to a European country outside of Russia, due to fear that the Russian authorities could potentially hospitalize him and, even worse, separate him from his child.