Belinda Bencic expresses her discontent regarding the unequal treatment of players at the Australian Open 2021

Belinda Bencic expresses her discontent regarding the unequal treatment of players at the Australian Open 2021
Belinda Bencic 1
Belinda Bencic

This year’s edition of the Australian Open will be very different from previous years. One of the main reasons for its peculiarity is the Coronavirus and its restriction. These restriction will be in full force at Australia. Players are required to quarantine for 14 days before they take the court in Melbourne.

In addition to this, restrictions are also applied to practice courts and a player’s ability to train ahead of the main event. While these protocols seemed very straight forward, the decision that top players in men’s and women’s category will stay at Adelaide and have access to practice courts changed this equation.

This difference in protocols between players in Adelaide and players in Melbourne has stirred up a lot of controversies. Many players and pundits have expressed their disagreement with these new guidelines.

They have viewed these differences as discriminatory and unjust to the players who will quarantine in Melbourne, who won’t have access to practice courts. One of those players who oppose these rule changes is Belinda Bencic.

We are complaining because of unequal practice/playing conditions: Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic
Belinda Bencic

Recently Swiss star Belinda Bencic shared her opinion on this rule anomaly via Twitter. The highest-ranking Swiss women said, “We are not complaining to be in Quarantine. We are complaining because of unequal practice/playing conditions before quite important tournaments.”

https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic/status/1350446300236398596
https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic/status/1350445646973530113

The World No.12 then goes on to say that she wasn’t aware of these differences, she came to know about these changes when she landed in Australia. Bencic wrote, “Actually, no we didn‘t. We made our decision to come here from rules that were sent to us. Then we arrived and received an information/rule book with more/new rules that we did not know about.”

Also Read: First planeload of players for the Australian Open brings in two positive COVID tests