New York: French tennis player Benoit Paire has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. He will hence have to pull out of the US Open which is scheduled to today.
Paire, seeded 17th for the Grand Slam, arrived in New York last week to play the Western and Southern Open, a tune-up for the US Open. Paire appeared unwell during his opening round match and asked for medical help before retiring midway through it.
According to French sports daily L’Equipe, he eventually tested positive for Covid-19.
L’Equipe further said fellow Frenchmen Richard Gasquet, Adrian Mannarino, Gregoire Barrere and Edouard Roger Vasselin were also asked to self-isolate in their hotel rooms after Paire’s positive test.
The US Open is the first Grand Slam to take place this year since the Australian Open in January and February. The Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War while the French Open is scheduled for a September 21 start.
The US Open is taking place in a bio-secure bubble without fans at Flushing Meadows. Paire is the first within the bubble to test positive for coronavirus. A number of major stars, including defending men’s and women’s singles champions Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu have given the Grand Slam a miss.