Another blow in Tamara Korpatsch’s no good, very bad week: testing positive for COVID-19
Absolutely nothing has gone according to plan at Wimbledon for the German, who posted a selfie with Rafael Nadal a day before she made the announcement.
What a week it’s been for Tamara Korpatsch.
It began with the 27-year-old ready to make her long-awaited Wimbledon singles and doubles debut—but absolutely nothing has gone according to plan since.
On Saturday, the German announced on social media that she had tested for COVID-19 and had to pull out of an upcoming WTA 125 event in Contrexeville.
“I've had very high fever, sore throat and the worst headache like I've never had before,” she wrote. “I will stay home in quarantine for the next days. I hope I'll be better quickly and can get back on Court as soon as possible.”
Korpatsch’s post comes a day after she uploaded a Wimbledon selfie featuring Rafael Nadal, and a photo with John Isner. She is the latest in a growing number of players testing positive for the virus during The Championships: last year’s finalist Matteo Berrettini pulled out of the tournament after testing positive, while Marin Cilic and Roberta Bautista Agut were also big-name casualties.
It’s also the latest blow for Korpatsch, who had a chaotic first week at The Championships.
In singles, the world No. 110 lost in a three-set heartbreaker on Court No. 1 to home favorite Heather Watson, bowing out, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-2, having been three points away from victory in the second set.
Her misery only continued ahead of her scheduled doubles match as she never got to make her major doubles debut—Korpasch was dumped by doubles partner Harmony Tan, after the Frenchwoman cited a leg injury suffered during her 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7) first-round stunner over the returning Serena Williams.
Korpatsch only learned about Tan’s withdrawal the morning of their doubles match, and she made her frustrations known on social media:
“She can’t run cause she played a 3-hour match yesterday,” the German wrote in a series of since-deleted Instagram posts and Stories. “Sorry, but I’ve played 6:33h in one day and played a singles match the next day…
“[She] let me wait here [until] 1 hour before the match start. I'm very sad, disappointed and also very angry that I can't play my 1st Doubles Grand Slam. And It's really not fair for me. I didn’t deserve that. She asked me before the tournament if we wanna play doubles and I said yes, I didn’t ask her, she asked me!
“If you're broken after a 3h Match the day before, you can't play professional. That's my opinion.”
The pair have apparently since buried the hatchet, as Korpatsch later posted an apology to Tan. The Frenchwoman needed tape on her thigh and took anti-inflammatories during her second-round match, proving that she was indeed injured and fatigued after her match.
But that hasn’t stopped their snipes and volleys throughout the week, with Tan telling press she blew off Korpatsch’s apology texts and posts: “She text me, and she apologize for this publication. I don't like drama. I'm not like this. So I didn't answer.”
Korpatsch’s next Instagram post dripped with irony, though the German claims she meant every word: “Congrats Harmony for a win against another great player,” she wrote on Stories after Tan comfortably defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo. “Amazing week for you… I’m glad your leg injury get better so quickly.”
That’s ice cold, Tami.
But in the end, it’s Tan who seems to be having the last laugh at Wimbledon. While Korpatsch is spending her weekend in quarantine, Tan is through to the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time and preparing to face No. 20 seed Amanda Anisimova.