Tennis champ Murray tests positive
ANDY MURRAY’S presence at tennis’s Australian Open is in doubt after he tested positive for Covid.
The star (pictured) is isolating at home as rivals head Down Under to enter quarantine before play begins on February 8. Players were warned positive tests would rule them out but the Brit hopes to find a solution.
ANDY MURRAY’S hopes of returning to play at the Australian Open next month are in the balance after he tested positive for coronavirus.
The Scot had been due to arrive on one of the charter flights laid on by organisers but is still isolating at home.
Murray, who is said to be in good health, is now liaising with tournament director Craig Tiley to find a way he could arrive in Australia at a later date and participate in the year’s first grand slam, starting on February 8 in Melbourne.
An Australian Open statement did not seem to offer the 33-year-old much hope. ‘Andy Murray has advised he has tested positive to Covid-19,’ it read.
‘Unfortunately this means he will be unable to join the official AO charter flights arriving in Australia in the coming days to go through the quarantine period with the other players.
‘The AO fans love Andy, and we know how much he loves competing here in Melbourne and how hard he’d worked for this opportunity.’ Tournament organisers spent several months negotiating a way of safely taking more than 1,000 tennis players and associated personnel to Australia.
Players began arriving in the country yesterday ahead of a two-week period of quarantine, in which they can leave their rooms to practise for five hours a day.
Murray has been given a wild card for the tournament and hopes to play at Melbourne for the first time since 2019, when he emotionally revealed the extent of his right hip problems and raised the possibility of imminent retirement.
Although a resurfacing operation allowed him to resume his career he has experienced several setbacks since, most recently to a muscle which connects the lower back to the top of his leg.
Last month Murray played in two matches at the most recent Battle of the Brits event, defeating Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie.