GENEVA: Olympic tennis champion Belinda Bencic has tested positive for Covid-19 after her trip to Abu Dhabi and has “severe symptoms”, she said on Tuesday, a day after Rafael Nadal announced he had also tested positive.

Both players had travelled to Abu Dhabi to play in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event last week. Nadal also said he was having some after testing positive upon his return to Spain.

“Unfortunately and even though I am fully vaccinated, I recently tested positive for Covid-19,” Bencic said on Twitter.

“I am currently isolating and taking all precautionary [measures] to get through this as best as possible as I am experiencing quite severe symptoms [fever, aches, chills].

“While the timing is not ideal — as I was in the final stages of my preparations for the Australian Open swing — I will make my way to Australia as soon as I am cleared and past the isolation period.”

Bencic lost to Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who had replaced US Open champion Emma Raducanu after the latter tested positive for Covid-19 and withdrew from the event.

The Australian Open begins on Jan 17.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2021