Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press

Simona Halep Announces She Tested Positive for COVID-19, Has Mild Symptoms

Mike Chiari

The No. 2 women's tennis player in the world, Simona Halep, announced Saturday that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Halep noted on Twitter that she is self-isolating and recovering from mild symptoms:

The 29-year-old Romanian has twice been the No. 1 player in the world. She is also a two-time Grand Slam champion, having won the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon.

Prior to playing in the Prague Open, Italian Open and French Open over the past few months, Halep hadn't appeared in a tournament since February, which was before the WTA took a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Jimmy Hascup of USA Today, a foot injury and the pandemic kept her out of action for about seven months. Halep did not partake in the U.S. Open in September because of concerns related to COVID-19.

After winning the Prague Open in her first tournament back in August, Halep won the Italian Open as well, but she was eliminated in the fourth round of the French Open by Polish teenager Iga Swiatek. It was considered a big upset at the time, but Swiatek shockingly went on to win the tournament.

While there are no more Grand Slam tournaments to be played until the Australian Open in January, the biggest tourney remaining on the 2020 schedule is the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for next month.

It isn't yet clear if Halep plans to play in the WTA Finals if she is determined to be healthy and cleared to do so before the tournament.

   

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