Complaining of a slight fever and shortness of breath, Alexander Zverev wasn’t feeling himself on court at the French Open but his ailment barely caused a stir from his opponent or organizers of the Grand Slam tournament that has conducted thousands of tests to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Organizers said the sixth-seeded German player did not consult their doctors before his fourth-round match against Italian teenager Jannik Sinner, despite the symptoms he later disclosed in his news conference after he was beaten 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
"I shouldn’t have played," the 23-year-old U.S. Open finalist said. "I’m completely sick. I can’t really breathe, as you can hear by my voice."
He said he also had a fever of 38 degrees (100.4 Fahrenheit) the previous night. The symptoms came on after he beat Italian Marco Cecchinato in straight sets in round three and "I’m not in the best physical state," he said.
Organizers said Zverev had stayed up to date with his COVID-19 tests that players have been subjected to every five days. His results were all negative, his most recent test was last Tuesday and he’d been informed Sunday that he was due for another, organizers said.
Sinner said that from his side of the net, Zverev seemed "quite okay, you know, because in the third and fourth set he was running quite a lot."
"I think he’s honest guy, so if he says that he has cold or fever or whatever, I trust him," he said.
The 19-year-old played down any risk of infection. Sinner plays Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
"We have got tested quite many times," he said. "Obviously, we were not that nearby, you know. It’s like we always had the distance."
He added: "I don’t think that I will have fever ... or I hope so."
Organizers say they have conducted about 3,000 tests. They have housed players in two bio-secured Paris hotels. Players wear masks onto court but not during play and touch rackets instead of shaking hands.
Organizers removed two players from the girls’ junior tournament that started Sunday after they tested positive for the coronavirus. The girls were not named.