Sam Querrey handed suspended fine for COVID-19 violation

American tennis player Sam Querrey was handed a suspended $20,000 fine by the ATP tour on Wednesday for breaching coronavirus protocols at the St. Petersburg Open in October.

Querrey left Russia on a private plane after testing positive for COVID-19, despite having been placed in isolation by local authorities. The ATP said its investigation into the incident concluded that Querrey's conduct was “contrary to the integrity of the game.”

However, the fine will be lifted if the 33-year-old Querrey does not commit any further violations of health and safety protocols related to COVID-19 during a six-month probationary period.

The ATP said it took Querrey's “many years of otherwise good standing with the ATP and other mitigating factors” into consideration when deciding on a suspended fine.

Image credits: AP