Coco Gauff tests positive for corona virus ahead of Olympics: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: The Canadian Press

Coco Gauff, the US tennis player, has withdrawn from the Olympics due to testing positive for coronavirus. The 17-year-old player recently lost to Angelique Kerber in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Currently, she is at 25th position in the WTA rankings.

She released a statement on Twitter saying, “I am so disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for COVID and won’t be able to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future.”

The Olympics are scheduled to start on Friday and will run till August 8th. Many Japanese officials have raised concerns about hosting the event in the middle of a pandemic.

Two members of South Africa’s men's football team have also tested positive for COVID-19. SO far 55 people have been identified to be positive for coronavirus.

Currently, 6.700 athletes are staying in the Olympics village and they have to abide by strict rules and restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. They are undergoing daily testing. One of the spokespeople of the Olympic Games said, "The inhabitants of the Olympic Village are the most-tested group of people in the world.”