Time for ATP and WTA tournaments to clear the air for their players

On a day when pollution-measuring devices at the US Embassy registered smog described as “hazardous”, Martin Klizan of Slovakia said dirty air contributed to his distress at the China Open, writes Paul Oberjuerge.

Martin Klizan of Slovakia said he would never again play in Beijing “due to my health, which should be a priority of every tournament organiser”. AFP PHOTO / GREG BAKER
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In December, The Guardian reported on the spread of inflatable domes at international schools in Beijing, where pupils can exercise inside enclosed areas treated with “hospital-grade air-filtration systems”.

It is time for the ATP and WTA to demand the same scrubbed air for their pros.

Smog is endemic in Beijing, and those who have lived in it will never forget the pallid sun and otherworldly sunsets, but sometimes the air pollution is worse than others.

Such was the case during the China Open last week, where both the men and women stop for a late-season tournament.

On a day when pollution-measuring devices at the US Embassy registered smog described as “hazardous”, Martin Klizan of Slovakia said dirty air contributed to his distress, including vomiting, in a defeat to Fabio Fognini. He said he would never again play in Beijing “due to my health, which should be a priority of every tournament organiser”.

When journalists asked the tournament co-director what level of pollution would lead to a halt in play, he suggested the air was not as bad as usual and that play would be stopped only if the air was so dirty that players could not see the ball.

“But we are far from that level of pollution,” he added.

Schools in Beijing have shown tented buildings with scrubbed air can be built.

The government could build larger varieties of the same air-lock-access domes.

If it does not, tour organisers should put the players’ health first and find safer venues for their competitions.

poberjuerge@thenational.ae

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