Tennis star Paula Badosa changes mind on quarantine after positive test

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says the Spanish tennis star’s positive test is “proof” Victoria’s hard quarantine of more than 70 tennis players was necessary.

Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa. Picture: Getty Images

Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa’s positive COVID-19 test is “proof” Victoria’s hard quarantine of more than 70 tennis players was necessary, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said.

The world No 67 has been moved to a health hotel after testing positive on Thursday, and told her Twitter followers that she was “feeling unwell” and had some symptoms. Badosa was on the same flight from Abu Dhabi as Sylvain Bruneau, coach of Canada’s 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who has also tested positive.

“I’ll try to recover as soon as possible listening to the doctors,” Badosa said on Twitter.

“I’ve been taken to a health hotel to self-isolate and be monitored. Thanks for your support. We’ll be back stronger.”

Badosa is the first player at this year’s Australian Open to record a positive test for COVID-19 that’s not an instance of viral-shedding.

Professor Sutton said she would undergo at least 10 more days of quarantine or 14 days if she has the more infectious UK variant. “It’s certainly proof hard quarantine measures were necessary,” he said.

He said the government had quarantined everyone on the flight and although the approach had been questioned, it was “entirely appropriate and has been borne out by this”.

Badosa had previously criticised the tough quarantine measures, claiming the rules had changed overnight about all passengers on a flight quarantining if one passenger tested positive.

On Friday she said “health will always come first” and she felt grateful to be in Australia.

“Quarantine and preventive measures are pivotal right now. I talked about rules that changed overnight but I understand the sad situation we are living in. Sorry guys. Stay safe,” she said.

Spain’s tennis federation released an open letter lambasting the way its players in quarantine are being treated and expressing “support and solidarity”. It claimed players were not warned of a strict lockdown if on the same flight as a positive passenger.

“We understand all the precautions and measures taken for the sake of the health of players, spectators, workers and residents, but we believe these measures should have been compatible with the mental and physical health of the players,” it said.

Badosa was Victoria’s only new case on Friday with no local cases.

It’s been 16 days since the last locally acquired case in the state.
Additional reporting Jess Malcolm