The New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus may not play the ATP Finals in London later this month, despite qualifying for the lucrative top eight tournament.
Michael Venus Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Venus and Australian John Peers qualified for the season-ending tournament after winning through to the quarter-finals of Paris Masters this morning.
Venus has booked a flight home and a place in managed isolation next week and may have trouble changing that booking.
He says the next earliest booking he can get in a New Zealand quaratine hotel is December 20th, almost a month after the ATP Finals tournament finishes.
Adding to the issue is London being in lockdown which would mean he wouldn't be able to train.
That would mean Venus and Peers wouldn't be able to train for a month leading into January's Australian Open.
He has also not seen his pregnant wife Sally and two year old daughter Lila since early August and has applied for an emergency spot to come home earlier, after the tournament finishes at the 02 Arena.
"We have tried to find any avenue that's possible and have applied for the emergency spots so just waiting to hear on that and hopefully something can come through and we will be able to finish the year by playing in London." Venus said.
Peers and Venus Photo: PHOTOSPORT
This morning Venus qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the fourth straight year as he and Peers beat American Austin Krajicek and Croatian Franko Skugor 6-4 7-6 (4) to reach the quarter finals in Paris.
Their spot in the elite eight team field for the 02 Arena was confirmed when Brits Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski lost their second-round match in Paris.
It's a great achievement given the quality of the players out there." Venus said. "I've been lucky to have some great partners over the years that have helped me over the years also and I am just really excited that we have been able to finish the year on a high and be playing like this and hopefully we can win a few more matches here."
Venus and Peers will face Canadian singles star Felix Augier Alliassime and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the Paris Masters quarter finals.
Last year Venus and Raven Klaasen were beaten in the final of the ATP Finals doubles tournament by the French pair of Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.