Tennys Sandgren boards flight to Melbourne for Australian Open despite recent positive COVID-19 test

American tennis player Tennys Sandgren has been allowed to board a chartered flight to Melbourne for the Australian Open despite recently testing positive for coronavirus.

Sandgren tweeted he tested "COVID positive" on Monday, after originally testing positive in late November, and was initially barred from the flight containing international players out of Los Angeles.

But the world number 50 said he was then allowed to join the delayed flight, calling Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley a "wizard".

It said the evidence in Sandgren's case "suggested he had recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection and is still shedding viral particles".

Tennis Australia (TA) would not comment specifically on Sandgren's situation but said it was following Victorian Government guidelines on players being allowed to fly to Melbourne.

The Australian Open will start at Melbourne Park on February 8 and run until February 21.