Johanna Konta: British number one withdraws from Wimbledon after Covid contact
British number one Johanna Konta has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after a member of her team tested positive for Covid.
News that 31-year-old Konta would not compete came on Sunday, just a day before the beginning of the tournament. The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced that Konta will be replaced in the Ladies' Singles Draw by Yafan Wang, from China.
Konta, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2019, will now self-isolate for 10 days,
A statement from the All England Lawn Tennis Club read: “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 positive result was returned which resulted in the AELTC, together with Public Health England, identifying Johanna Konta to be a close contact".
The official Wimbledon Twitter account said."Our heartfelt sympathies are with Johanna and we hope to see her back on court as soon as possible,"
The tournament is back having been cancelled 12 months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.Not including Konta, 14 Brits are in the main draw, including Andy Murray, new British number one men's player Dan Evans.
This year’s Championships have been given special status as a Government test event to allow spectators to attend, but many Covid-19 restrictions will still be in place. Ticket holders will be required to wear face coverings while moving around the grounds, but not while seated on court. All the competitors will stay in a bubble either at the All England Club or in their designated hotels.