Pro tennis player Fernando Verdasco plans to sue the French Open over a positive COVID-19 test, Sky Sports reports.
The Spaniard tested positive after arriving in Paris on Tuesday and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. He asked to be retested but was denied.
"Do I want to sue Roland Garros? Yes, obviously," he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. "Nobody can believe that a tournament like Roland Garros can do that. It can't be.
"It is not a thing about money; it is a thing of damage which this does you personally and professionally."
The 36-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 in August but completed his isolation and had two negative tests before returning to training. He was asymptomatic at the time of his positive test. He said he also had negative tests in Rome and Hamburg before arriving in Paris.
"I don't know if I'm going to play again this year or not because you lose the desire for everything," he told the station.
"They [French Open organizers] do things as they please, without any coherence and without any respect. The rights of the players count for nothing.
"Then the next day, following when I have been left out of the draw, they change the rules and now you can do a second test – that was the final straw."
The ATP sent a letter to players this week saying, "Experiencing different protocols at different events is unsettling," but, "As you are aware, the FFT protocol at Roland Garros is different from the one used at prior ATP events and does not take into account any medical history."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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