The player had no symptoms and pulled out just before qualifying started for the tournament, scheduled to be the first after the WTA Tour was shut down in March because of the pandemic.

The tournament is due to begin in Sicily on August 3.

Although the identity of the player who tested positive for coronavirus was not released, shortly after the announcement of the positive test 130th-ranked Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, who had been due to take part in qualifying, withdrew citing illness, reported Agence France-Presse.

"The effectiveness of the protocols and related controls allowed us to intercept a positive case among the players who arrived in Palermo," professor Antonio Cascio, the tournament's anti-COVID 19 consultant, said.

"The same player, awaiting the test results, had always remained in her hotel room."

The tournament will go ahead as scheduled, according to organisers and, as per WTA protocols, any individuals who came into close contact with the player in question will undergo further testing.

The field for the WTA Palermo Open was set to feature world number two Simona Halep, however the Romanian withdrew from the event earlier this week citing a rise in coronavirus cases in Romania and "anxieties" around international air travel.