Wimbledon 2021: Briton Johanna Konta forcibly withdrew from the competition after a team member tested positive for Covid-19
British number one Johanna Konta was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after a member of her team tested positive for Covid-19, the All England Club said on Sunday.
The All England Club said the 27th-seeded Konta was determined to have been in close contact with the team member and so is required to self-isolate for 10 days.
“A member of Johanna Konta’s team presented with COVID-19 symptoms this morning, and immediately isolated and undertook a PCR test in accordance with The Championships’ testing protocols,” a statement said.
“A positive result was returned which resulted in the AELTC, together with Public Health England, identifying Johanna Konta to be a close contact. In line with government legislation, she is required to self-isolate for 10 days and therefore is withdrawn from The Championships.”
The Grand Slam tournament begins Monday. It was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, the first time since 1945 that Wimbledon wasn’t contested.
Konta, a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2017, is the first singles player in either the women’s or men’s bracket to be withdrawn from the field because of coronavirus protocols.
The 30-year-old Konta also was a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2016 and the French Open in 2019.
Konta’s withdrawal will send shockwaves around the rest of the field and is a huge blow to the 30-year-old who won the Nottingham title in the build-up to Wimbledon.
She was in the bubble with her fiancee, her coach Dan Smethurst and her strength and conditioning coach Gill Myburgh.
“Both Johanna and her team member had tested negative on all their previous tests undertaken within The Championships’ protocols,” the statement said.
“Both individuals were advised of the positive test and close contact classification and are now self-isolating for the next 10 days.”
Lucky loser Wang Yafan from China will replace Konta in the draw.
Konta was supposed to play Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Rebublic in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
