Verdasco says he's out of French Open due to false-positive COVID-19 test

PARIS (AP) Former Top 10 player Fernando Verdasco said he has been dropped from the French Open because of what he believes is a false positive result on a coronavirus test.

The 36-year-old from Spain had played in 67 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments until missing this year's U.S. Open.

Verdasco wrote Friday on Twitter - two days before play begins at Roland Garros - that he had COVID-19 in August and did not have symptoms. He said that was followed by negative results until he tested positive this week.

Verdasco said he asked for another test, but French Open organizers refused. He said he took other, unofficial tests on his own that came up negative.

''It makes me sad and feeling absolutely frustrated,'' Verdasco wrote.

He was a semifinalist at the 2009 Australian Open and is currently ranked 58th.