If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I follow tennis. Tennis is a global sport, and it has had to adapt to the pandemic, like everyone else. The tennis tour has basically “solved” their traveling-in-a-pandemic problems by creating roving bubbles depending on where the tournaments are being held. Some bubbles were stronger than others, and fans have been slowly allowed back to watch tennis in-person, although a number of events were held without fans in the past year.
At various tournaments this year, tournament organizers offered Covid vaccines to players. The Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine was a popular choice early on, with the women’s tournament in Charleston offering free J&J vaccines to every player and their teams. Novak Djokovic – who has previously said anti-Vaxxy things – hosted multiple small tournaments at his tennis club in Belgrade, and at those tournaments, players were also offered vaccines. It’s happened at other tournaments too, but at this moment, the ATP and WTA are only “encouraging” players to get vaccinated and not mandating it. There is anecdotal reporting that less than 30% of the tour is fully vaccinated.
We’re in the part of the season where players are in North America. This week, they’re in Cincinnati, then the US Open in New York, then Indian Wells in October. At those tournaments, fans are welcome and the “bubble” is not so strict. There are some protocols in place, but the tour is really trying to ease up on players and fans. Which makes it really hard when players are out here, being complete dumbasses. Apparently, Stefanos Tsitsipas – a top five player and a finalist at the French Open this year – confirmed in press on Monday that he’s not vaccinated and he doesn’t plan to get vaccinated until it’s mandatory:
Stefanos Tsitsipas says he has not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19, and would only do so if vaccination becomes mandatory to compete on tour.#CincyTennis
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 16, 2021
There were players saying this kind of sh-t in March, when no one knew if and when vaccines would be widely available to people who live the nomadic existence of a pro tennis player. But now, in August? To still feel this way? Please, someone educate this dumbass.
Also: it’s past time for the governing tennis bodies – ATP, WTA and ITF – to simply mandate vaccines. Players are stuck in North America for the next month, probably longer if they stay here for Indian Wells. Just line them up and jab them. If they refuse, don’t let them play. It’s that simple.
Also, Stefanos totally stepped on his own good press – he has a super-soft profile in Vogue in which (surprise) vaccines are not discussed.
Twenty-two-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas has more going for him than a killer forehand: A love of travel. A keen interest in graphic design. And an appreciation of essential oils https://t.co/K6SJvW7OSr
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) August 16, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
