The ongoing World TeamTennis event in West Virginia dismissed American player Danielle Collins for allegedly breaking COVID-19 guidelines.
Organisers of the event had laid down strict protocols as a precaution against the Coronavirus, which included not allowing players to leave The Greenbrier Resort, the venue for the tournament.
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For failing to keep up with those protocols, the current world no 51 will no longer be allowed to compete for the Orlando Storm team at this year’s edition.
“We have dismissed Danielle Collins for the remainder of the 2020 World TeamTennis season after breaking our COVID-19 protocols and leaving The Greenbrier Resort and the state of West Virginia,” said WTT CEO Carlos Silva in a statement.
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“The protocols have been put in place and communicated numerous times to protect the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff which are of utmost importance to WTT.”
The WTT is the second event to take place in the US, since the outbreak of the pandemic, to allow spectators at the venue.
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The first event was the All American Team Cup that took place in Atlanta, Georgia, but was marred by one of the players, Frances Tiafoe testing positive for the virus during the event.
Tiafoe was the fifth active player – along with Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric, Viktor Troicki and Novak Djokovic, who all played at the Adria Tour – to have tested positive after participating in an exhibition event that allowed spectators in the stands.
Information regarding when and where Collins went is unavailable, and the player is yet to comment on her removal from this year’s WTT.
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Curiously, Collins, the 2019 Australian Open semifinalist, had criticised world no 1 Djokovic last month after the Serbian stated his reservations about playing at the US Open because of the strict protocols the Grand Slam organisers had put in place.
The WTT, which is scheduled to conclude on August 1, has a roster that includes the likes of 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, four-time singles Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters and seven-time major winner Venus Williams.
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