Key points
- Former world No. 1 wheelchair tennis player Stéphane Houdet says he is confident there's no virus transmission among Australian Open players and staff.
- Houdet is among nearly 100 players self-isolating after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for COVID-19.
- Houdet says the Australian Open protocols are an example for the world, including the Tokyo Olympics.
Former world No. 1 wheelchair tennis player Stéphane Houdet says he is confident that no players or support staff came in direct contact with a hotel quarantine worker who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Mr Houdet underwent a mandatory 14-day quarantine at Grand Hyatt and has been asked to self-isolate.
"This morning, we all had to do a test at a special place that was booked for the players. Hundred-something players and 500 people will have to get tested, and we are going to have the results within the day," he told SBS French.
"We expect the results to be negative for all of us because no one had symptoms; no one had contact with the person who was positive."
He says he is taking it as a "rainy day - you can't control".
Source: Stephane Houdet
"You know it happens in tennis. Sometimes you can't control the schedule, including long matches, the heat and rain; usually, it's rain, but in Australia sometimes it's too warm to play.
"So, it's like a day off."
The current world No. 6 says the players understand the importance of safety and are happy with the health response.
"We had a video call this morning with all the players that were concerned; it was well-received. Everyone understood that safety first, and that's the way to play. In a way, the players are very happy with what happened because it proves that it can a safe environment to play with the crowd."
The 50-year-old French tennis champion was moved from Grand Hyatt after completing his mandatory quarantine, and he is currently in an apartment in Saint Kilda where he is awaiting his COVID-19 test result.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it was a "positive" sign that early testing of the hotel quarantine worker's family contacts came back negative.
Besides his tennis career, Mr Houdet is also a veterinarian and understands epidemiology. He says he is confident that the Australian Open will go ahead despite the virus scare.
Source: Getty
"I can't really imagine a positive case coming from the players at this stage because everyone was locked down, no contact with the positive person since all were negative."
He says that the health protocols at the Australian Open are an example for the world, including the Tokyo Olympics.
After losing his leg in a motorcycle accident in 1996, Houdet took up golf while working as a veterinarian. By 2001, he was France’s No. 1 wheelchair tennis player.
He later took up wheelchair tennis, quickly progressing to the highest competitive level.
Stephane Houdet is the former singleworld No. 1 singles and doubles in wheelchair tennis and the current doubles world number three.
In 2014, he became the first man in history to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam in men's wheelchair doubles.
