China tells tennis players to avoid overseas after virus case

FILE — China´s Xiyu Wang returns the ball to England´s Heather Watson  during their Mexico WTA Open women’s semifinal singles tennis match in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico on February 28, 2020. (Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP)

Chinese tennis authorities have warned players against going abroad after teenager Wang Xiyu failed to make it to the Australian Open after testing positive for coronavirus.

The world number 118 was a wildcard for Melbourne, where the build-up to the year’s first Grand Slam is in disarray because of the pandemic, but she will not now compete following the Covid-19 diagnosis in Abu Dhabi before departing for Australia.

The 19-year-old, a former US Open junior champion, said in a statement on Sunday that she did not have any symptoms and was quarantining.

The Chinese Tennis Association responded by telling Chinese players overseas to “return to China as soon as possible after the match and avoid staying abroad.”

“For competitors who are still in China but are going to compete abroad, they must fully study and judge the risks, make cautious choices and try not to go abroad for matches as much as is possible.”

Wang Qiang, the 34th-ranked player who toppled Serena Williams last year in Melbourne, is among a handful of Chinese players expected to take part at this year’s Australian Open.