Despite Corona: Why Sinner is allowed to play in front of thousands of fans

Oh, how pictures like this have been missing in the last few months. After his victory in the strange show match against Jannik Sinner ( SportNews berichtete ) Superstar Novak Djokovic steps up to the microphone on the sidelines and lets his thoughts flow. “Thank you for coming here and allowing us to play in front of spectators for the first time in 12 months. “That’s very special,” says the world number 1, visibly pleased. You can hear it again and again in the background: thunderous applause and loud cheers from the fans. If Corona didn't exist, these scenes wouldn't even be worth a side note. In times like these, such images go around the world.

4000 fans gathered in the stands in Adelaide on Friday to watch the best tennis players in the world - including Jannik Sinner - to cheer at a show tournament that serves to prepare for the Australian Open in Melbourne, 650 kilometers away . Many of them didn't wear masks, and there wasn't even a strict safety distance - in short: everything was so normal. 8 new infections in one day In this country, it is not even remotely conceivable that several thousand spectators would watch a tennis match in an arena. In Australia, however, the corona situation is so relaxed that this is even possible without mouth and nose protection. A look at the numbers shows the stark difference between Down Under and Europe: On Thursday there were 25 (!) new infections in Australia with a population of 8 million. For comparison: Italy recorded more than 24 new cases in the last 14.000 hours.

<a data-caption="Japans Superstar Naomi Osaka posiert für ein Selfie mit einem Fan: Eine Situation, die hierzulande reines Wunschdenken ist. © AFP / MICHAEL ERREY" data-fancybox="inline-72946" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2021/01/japans-superstar-naomi-osaka-posiert-fuer-ein-selfie-mit-einem-fan-eine-situation-die-hierzulande-reines-wunschdenken-ist.jpg"> Japan's superstar Naomi Osaka poses for a selfie with a fan: a situation that is purely wishful thinking in this country. © AFP / MICHAEL ERREY

In general, Australia has gotten through the corona pandemic unscathed so far: According to Johns Hopkins University, a total of only 28.777 infections and 909 deaths were registered during the entire corona pandemic. Before Christmas there had been no confirmed new infections for around 7 weeks. According to official information, only 84 people in Australia are currently infected with Corona. It doesn't work without strict rules Of course, such numbers also come at a price. The entry and quarantine regulations in Australia are tough and uncompromising. The borders are almost closed, and even citizens have problems returning. Numerous tennis professionals also felt these strict rules: Because there were several corona cases on the flight to Australia, they were allowed to do so Around 50 stars didn't leave their hotel rooms for two weeks . Everyone else was also in quarantine for 2 weeks, but at least they were able to 5 hours a day outdoors .

The players can look forward to fans at the Australian Open (February 8th to 21st): it is currently planned that 35 percent of the tickets will be sold. The organizers are toying with increasing it to 50 percent. Jannik Sinner will be happy. After his game in Adelaide, the young man from Sexten, who was allowed to train with Rafael Nadal during his quarantine, said the following: “It was an honor for me to play in front of so many spectators. I really missed that.” That made it possible to get over his strange defeat.

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Despite Corona: Why Sinner is allowed to play in front of thousands of fans

Corona has Europe in a stranglehold, the restrictions on public life are becoming more and more drastic - and in Australia? Tennis is played there in front of thousands of fans. They are images that seem surreal in times like these, but are not.

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