Tennis star Simona Halep may not be able to compete at the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy due to new coronavirus quarantine rules imposed in the country.

Italy has just ruled that visitors arriving from Romania, where Halep would be flying in from, will have to quarantine for two weeks after entering the country.

The event, which is the first WTA competition since March, begins on August 3 and Halep is yet to travel.

Tournament director Oliviero Palma has written to the Italian health minister to ask if players involved in the event can be made exempt from the rule. 

He said: “We're convinced that the health protocols adopted by the WTA are so strict to guarantee the safety and health not only of athletes, yet also of all the various workers involved in the event.”

Italy has also enforced the quarantine on travellers from Bulgaria.

All players involved in the tournament will be tested for coronavirus before they travel. They will then be tested again upon arrival and will not be allowed out of their hotels until they receive their results.

The athletes will then be tested every four days to stop any possible spread of the disease.