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EAmerican tennis player Christian Harrison was fined by the ATP after refusing to participate in an on-court interview in protest of anti-COVID regulations that require him to wear a mask on the court after tournament matches at the Delray Beach Open.
Harrison said it was “unhealthy” to wear a mask for “longer than absolutely necessary,” especially after a game that the tennis player described as difficult. The 26-year-old defeated the tournament’s top seed, Chilean Christian Garin, before refusing to be interviewed on the court.
For this reason, the ATP awarded the player $ 3,000 (about 2,476 euros) for not complying with the mandatory duties. Two days after this incident, Harrison is already in the semi-finals after beating Italian Gianluca Mager.
The tennis player did the interview this time and later on social networks explained why he did not agree to do the interview two days before. “After my second-round match, I decided not to do my post-match interview because I have to wear a mask for it,” Harrison wrote on Instagram.
“It is unhealthy to wear a mask in the sun for longer than absolutely necessary after a difficult match. I got the impression that it was optional. They didn’t tell me that I would be fined. That night they told me it was a requirement for match matches. television and to be fined. When I spoke to the supervisor the next morning, they told me that since I had not been notified that it was mandatory, I could appeal the fine and it would be removed. But unless something changes now, it still I think that’s true. “
The tennis player continued saying that “when playing tournaments, follow the regulations that are necessary, even if I do not agree. But I do not support that people have to wear a mask for the simple fact of doing it for television.”
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