Nadal keeps his fingers crossed over threat of Covid
Rafael Nadal is confident that he will not join Wimbledon’s growing list of Covid-19 casualties after keeping his grand slam hopes alive with a fourset first-round win against Francisco Cerundolo.
Nadal had practised on Centre Court last Thursday with Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, who yesterday became the latest men’s seed to withdraw from the Championships after contracting the virus.
The French player Alize Cornet was also quoted as saying “everyone had Covid at Roland [Garros in the French Open]” but players chose to keep their infections secret.
“When we see that [Barbora] Krejcikova withdraws saying I have Covid, and that the whole dressing room is sick. At some point we may all have had the flu,” she told French outlet L’equipe.
“The thing is, we have three symptoms. The throat scratching, we play and everything is fine, it’s OK. In Roland [Garros], yes, I think there have been a few cases and it is a tacit agreement between us.”
Nadal, who won the French Open to add to his Australian Open crown, said that he was not aware of any Covid cases in Paris but was told recently that players do not need to take a Covid test even if they have symptoms.
Fears of serious disruption among the leading men’s players at Wimbledon were heightened following the loss of both Berrettini, last year’s runner-up to Novak Djokovic and one of the tournament favourites, and Marin Cilic who reached the 2017 final. Nadal stressed that he trained only outdoors with Berrettini last week.
“It is difficult to be a close contact when you are outside,” the Spaniard said after yesterday’s 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win. “Anything can happen but, for the moment, I’m feeling good. The physio told me if you have symptoms it is up to you if you have a test or not.
“If you have a test, and you are positive, you are out. If you are telling me if you have a positive and you can still play, I didn’t know. We need to follow the rules and if we don’t the world is a mess.”
Wimbledon was cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020 and returned last year subject to strict protocols. In common with most sporting events, those protocols have been significantly eased this year despite the recent wider community spike in Covid-19 infections. The protocols are being constantly reviewed.