‘Their tournament is sh*tty’: Beaten Frenchman Benoit blasts Australian Open’s strict quarantine rules after 1st-round defeat

French tennis player Benoit Paire lashed out at the Australian Open authorities for unequally treating participants, calling the competition “sh*tty” after his unexpected first-round exit.

The 25th seed suffered a shocking defeat from Belarus’ Egor Gerasimov on Monday, losing to his lower-ranked and less experienced opponent in four sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-7, 5-7.

READ MORE: ‘All this goes out on the internet’: Azarenka refuses to talk about health problems after struggling to breathe in Aus Open exit

Paire was among the 72 players locked in a strict quarantine for two weeks after positive Covid-19 cases were detected on charter flights to Melbourne.

The Frenchman, who was denied the opportunity to practice over the two-week course, lambasted the organizers for imposing harsh restrictions he hadn’t been warned of.

“Their tournament in my opinion is sh*tty,” Paire said. “My game and attitude today were OK, but overall I’m very disappointed by this event. I didn’t sign up for this. I signed for a protocol where I would be able to practice for 14 days.”

“We had half-empty planes so you did not come in contact with anyone. And then you have a positive case and everyone is in quarantine. I did not come into contact with any person in the plane and after I went to the hotel on my own,” he added.

The athlete also expressed his anger over privileges provided to top-class players, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who were not forced to stay in a strict lockdown and were allowed to train in Adelaide.

“There was also a positive case on the flight to Adelaide, but there they didn’t have to quarantine,” Paire said.

“There should be the same rules for everyone. I do not understand why there is not. It’s not fair for everyone. It’s not fair. It’s a scandal.”