Van Uytvanck was eliminated in the 2nd round of the singles against the Chinese Qiang Wang and in the doubles the first round was the final station. After her loss on Thursday at the side of the Danish Clara Tauson, she wanted to fly back to Belgium.
But the mandatory PCR test before departure came back positive. “I am now in isolation and follow all requirements,” writes 27-year-old Van Uytvanck on Instagram. “I have very mild symptoms and look forward to coming back stronger.”
Australia has strict rules for participants in the Australian Open. In principle, only vaccinated tennis players are allowed to participate. Hence the saga surrounding the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic.
Tauson, Van Uytvanck’s doubles partner, lost in the third round of the singles against Danielle Collins, who will play Elise Mertens in the 4th round on Monday. Tennis Australia has not yet specified what the procedure is for Collins.
Van Uytvanck is the third positive corona case at the first grand slam tournament of the year. Australian Bernard Tomic tested positive after his defeat in qualifying, Frenchman Ugo Humbert followed after his loss in the first round.
