American tennis player Sam Querrey was handed a suspended US$20,000 (A$26,000) fine by the ATP tour on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) 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.
Leading tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg has been covering the story closely and tweeted that the ATP had set a "pretty incredible precedence of lenience."
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Many tennis fans on social media were similarly unimpressed, and questioned whether other players, including Australia's Nick Kyrgios, would have got off so lightly.
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It means Querrey will be allowed to play in the Australian Open, which starts three weeks later than usual on on February 8.
Tournament organisers have revised the schedule and playing conditions in striving to deliver a COVID-19 safe event.
"Health and safety will continue to be paramount as we navigate the challenges ahead, and I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to finding solutions to launch our 2021 season," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said.
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