Journalist calls out Indian Wells for restricting access amid COVID-19 pandemic: "Deeply frustrating and disheartening"

Noted tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg expressed his frustration with Indian Wells and several others events restricting access to reporters claiming it's due to COVID-19.

Despite the pandemic being all but over, some events are using it as an excuse to restrict on-site access to reporters and a noted tennis journalist took to Twitter to express his frustration with it. Rothenberg has been covering tennis for a while and he vented on Twitter writing:

"It doesn't rank high in the press freedom concerns, globally, but it is *deeply* frustrating and disheartening how many tennis tournaments used the pandemic as cover to roll back and restrict access for on-site journalists, blocking off areas where coaches and other sources are."

He noted Indian Wells as the most recent 'offender':

“Indian Wells is the most recent offender, having hid behind lingering Covid concerns last year. That is not a cheap or nearby tournament to cover for most anyone, and cutting off access is going to mean a lot fewer reporters decide to make the trip there."

And more:

“The professional tennis tours' popularity is not exactly at a high-water mark right now, if the tournaments and tours haven't noticed (see TV ratings for tournaments, Break Point, etc). There just aren't stars who are reliably playing and driving interest right now like before."