FILE PHOTO: Sep 9, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after losing a point against Leylah Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) on day eleven of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
November 10, 2021
(Reuters) – World number two Aryna Sabalenka said she got vaccinated against COVID-19 after having to miss last month’s Indian Wells tournament because she contracted the novel coronavirus.
The Belarusian, speaking on the eve of the season-ending WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico, had previously expressed concern about the vaccines, saying she was worried about how quickly they had been produced and which one might be the best for her.
“I think I’m clear right now because in Miami I did the vaccine, Johnson & Johnson,” the 23-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.
“Hopefully, I’m safe because I don’t want to stay in quarantine any more. It’s not a lot of fun.”
Sabalenka said she could not move for four days after testing positive last month.
“I stayed in the room for 10 days. I was doing some workout there, but it wasn’t enough,” she said. “I didn’t have taste, I didn’t have smell. Wasn’t really an amazing time.”
Sabalenka is the top seed at the WTA Finals after world number one Ash Barty decided not to travel to Mexico. She will face Spain’s Paula Badosa in her first match on Thursday.
The WTA Finals, contested by the world’s top eight singles players and eight doubles teams, was relocated to Mexico from Shenzhen due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in China.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
