This year’s New York bubble has seen the first case of players being withdrawn from competition after a trainer of two players tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
Argentina’s Guido Pella and Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien have both confirmed that they will be going into quarantine in accordance with medical recommendations. In two separate videos posted on their social media accounts, both men confirmed that it was their fitness trainer Juan Manuel Galván who tested positive. Galván is asymptomatic and only discovered the diagnoses after undergoing a routine test. José Acasuso, who is the coach of Pella, has also gone into isolation.
“Unfortunately the positive is from my physical trainer, Juan Manuel Galván,” La Nacion quoted Pella as saying in an Instagram video.
“Because of the close contact we had last week in Miami, and the contact that José Acasuso had, my coach on the plane and sharing the room, that’s why we are both fulfilling a mandatory isolation of two weeks. Both tests, José’s (Acasuso) and mine were negative, we are perfect, we feel nothing.’
“My physical trainer is experiencing this disease asymptomatically, but unfortunately the tournament withdrew me. Now the procedure is going to be with regular tests, I have one in two days to see if it goes from negative to positive, to see if I have any symptoms.’
Both players will miss next week’s Western and Southern Open, which has been relocated to New York this year due the pandemic. There are also doubts over their chances of playing in the US Open. The guidelines recommend that those who have been in close contact with somebody who has COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days. They could potentially take part should their first round matches be one of the last to be played, however, they would have gone two weeks without training.
“The reason why in this situation the roommate has to be quarantined for 14 days is because potentially the incubation period of COVID-19 is that it may take up to 14 days before you develop symptoms,” Dr. Bernard Camins commented on a hypothetical scenario prior to the confirmed positive test.
“That is why the quarantine period is longer. That’s the difference. One is already infected and the other person has just been exposed.”
This year’s US Open is taking place behind closed doors for the first time in history due to the pandemic. Players in New York have been restricted to where they can travel to and will be subjected to regular testing. Those staying in the city in private accommodation must pay for 24-hour security to ensure they are following protocols. Any player who goes out of the bubble without authorisation face expulsion from the tournament.
USTA chief Mike Dowse had previously said he expected a situation like this to occur. Organisers in New York have already conducted more than 13000 COVID0-19 tests. America has recorded more than 5 million cases and they have recorded more deaths than any other country.
“We expected this to happen,” Dowse said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “Mathematically, we expected to have a positive, if not more than one. So we did anticipate this and we have put very specific protocol in place to prevent this from spreading broadly. … Our No. 1 priority is to take care of this person first, and secondly to prevent the spread from going any further.”
Pella is ranked 35th in the world rankings and has won his first ATP title at the Brasil Open last year. Meanwhile, Dellien became the highest ranked player from his country since 1984 earlier this year when he peaked at 72.
The US Open starts a week on Monday.
