(CNN)World No. 3 Alexander Zverev said he thinks “there would probably be more” cases of Covid-19 among players at the Australian Open if the tournament enforced mandatory testing.
On Wednesday, Frenchman Ugo Humbert tested positive for Covid-19 in a pre-departure test after his first-round loss to compatriot Richard Gasquet.
“Quite a few players had it when it arrived, quite a lot of players I think have it now,” Zverev told reporters after his second-round win over John Millman.
“We’re not being tested, so I think if we were tested there would probably be more positives in some ways than there are now.”
All players must be fully vaccinated to play at the Australian Open unless they have a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.
In an interview with Nine Network on Thursday, Tennis Australia head Craig Tiley said players would need to retest upon arrival in Australia and between five and seven days after arrival.
He added that testing is mandatory if a player has symptoms of Covid-19.
CNN has contacted Tennis Australia regarding its testing protocols at the Australian Open but have received no response.
Garbiñe Muguruza, the third seed in the women’s draw, said after her second-round loss to Alize Cornet that she tested alone in her hotel room every two days, while Zverev also said he took extra precautions.
“There’s a lot of cases in Melbourne, there’s a lot of cases in Australia, so I don’t do much outside. I haven’t been to a restaurant, I haven’t been outside, I haven’t been anywhere but the hotel room and the dishes,” he said.
“I’m making a kind of bubble for myself simply because I don’t want to take any chances and give myself the best possible chance of doing well here. If I get Covid, obviously that’s not going to happen.”
Last week, Australian player Bernard Tomic expressed his dismay at the testing protocols ahead of the Australian Open, saying: “I can’t believe nobody is being tested. They allow players to come onto the pitch with quick tests in their room…no official PCR test.”
The state recorded 21,966 new cases of Covid-19 as of Wednesday, bringing the total number of active cases to 246,894, according to Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
The Australian Open is scheduled to end on January 31st.
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