Zverev says negative for Covid-19 after Roland Garros controversy

Germany’s Alexander Zverev said Monday he had tested negative for Covid-19, a day after he had played a match at Roland Garros despite feeling unwell.

“I wanted to update everyone that I have again tested negative for Covid,” the world number seven wrote on Instagram.

“I wasn’t 100% yesterday and I will take a few days to recover.”

Zverev said he “should not have played” after his French Open last 16 loss on Sunday to Italian teenager Jannik Sinner and complained of feeling “completely sick”.

The 23-year-old was up to date with his tournament-mandated Covid-19 tests, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said in a statement on Sunday. His last one before Monday was on September 29.

However, the FFT added that the German “did not consult the tournament doctors before his match”.

Zverev told German Eurosport on Monday that he had been suffering from a cold.

“We have been playing at eight degrees and drizzle for two weeks,” he said. “I have had a bit of a sore throat, then a cold. The fever was 37.6.”

He added that it was his understanding there was no obligation to inform tournament officials of an illness.

The US Open runner-up raised questions over whether he should have been allowed to play when he told reporters he had a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) following his win over Marco Cecchinato on Friday.

The FFT said Sunday that Zverev’s previous coronavirus test was negative. The result was received on September 30.

Roland Garros was pushed back four months from its traditional May-June slot due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Health protocols in Paris, which has seen a surge in infections, have been tightened with only 1,000 fans allowed on site each day.