Johanna Konta of Britain has had to pull out of Wimbledon because a member of her staff tested positive for Covid-19. The All England Club confirmed the news, noting that the three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist was found to have had close contact with a team member and has been ordered to self-isolate for ten days.
The 2017 Wimbledon semi-finalist is the first player in either the women’s or men’s singles brackets to be forced to quit due to coronavirus protocols.
During a pre-tournament video conference on Saturday, Konta discussed how odd it is for her and her teammates to have to remain in a hotel for the next two weeks instead of at their house in the region. “It’s strange in terms of the bubble existence. It’s strange to drive past my house on the way to Wimbledon every day. I’m like, Oh, OK, about a half-hour into the journey. That’s strange. It’s a little price to pay to be able to return to Wimbledon and compete again.”
“It’s kind of like an all-inclusive cruise, that’s what it feels like. I’ve never been on a cruise, but that’s how I imagine an all-inclusive cruise to be,” Konta said.
According to the All England Club, the squad member displayed Covid-19 symptoms on Friday morning and underwent a Covid test, which revealed that he had the condition. On Tuesday, Konta was set to face Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the first round of Wimbledon. Wang Yafan of China will now fill the former’s position after he failed to qualify.
