Benoit Paire continues to do his thing on the ATP circuit. After his embarrassing show at the 1000 Masters in RomeWhere he fell with a crash to Benoit Sinner, the Frenchman retired during his first-round match of the Hamburg tournament when he lost 6-4, 2-0 to Norwegian Casper Ruud.
With this abandonment Paire added his third defeat in the first round since returning from the competition after abandoning in the first round of the Masters 1,000 in Cincinnati and losing to Sinner in the first round of the Masters 1,000 in Rome. In fact, Paire was seen having a drink during one of the meeting breaks.
Although the most surreal moment of the match took place during the post-match press conference, when Paire announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus … right after testing Ruud.
The tennis player confessed that he had tested positive twice and that, despite this, he was allowed to play. “The rules are different in Germany and I want to thank the doctor and the tournament, they let me play. I tested negative yesterday, but on two other tests I tested positive. The rule here is different, so ATP has to explain what the rule is. In Paris there are players who have tested negative but since their coach has tested positive, they cannot play. Here in Germany you test positive and you can play. “
Paire was the only tennis player who tested positive for coronavirus in the tests that were carried out before the US Open dispute, where the French could not participate, and which made the protocol of the American tournament described as a “false bubble”.