Tennis-Pavlyuchenkova tests COVID-19 positive on arrival in Australia

FILE PHOTO: Sep 6, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia serves against Karolina Plishkova of Czech Republic (not pictured) on day eight of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Australia for next month's Grand Slam in Melbourne, the Russian world number 11 said on Thursday.

The women's Tour will kick off its 2022 season next week with a WTA 500 event in Adelaide and a couple of 250 events in Melbourne before the year's first major is played from Jan. 17.

"Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I arrived in Australia on Tuesday and tested positive for COVID-19," Pavlyuchenkova said on Twitter.

"I was fully vaccinated and was preparing for the start of the season in Dubai. But we live in a very difficult and unpredictable time.

"Right now I am in complete isolation, in a special hotel and following all the protocols under the supervision of doctors."

The 30-year-old reached her career-high ranking last month after a stellar 2021 season in which she reached her maiden major final, won the Tokyo Olympics mixed doubles gold and led Russia to the Billie Jean King Cup title in Prague.

Several players have had their preparations for the Australian Open disrupted due to the novel coronavirus recently including Rafa Nadal, Denis Shapovalov, Andrey Rublev, Belinda Bencic and Ons Jabeur, who all tested positive after playing at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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