Next year's Australian Open is in a vulnerable position. With the first Grand Slam of the year rapidly approaching, players and tournament organizers are frantically figuring out the best options for keeping everyone safe.
Per the government, anyone entering Australia is required to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel and athletes are not exempt. A proposal would see ATP and WTA players enter a lengthy bubble environment that allows them to train for warm-up events relocated to Melbourne.
In recent news, the first date of allowed entry for international players was moved to January 1 from December 14. The Australian Open's start date is still planned for January 18, but that only gives international players four days to prepare without warm-up tournaments. The junior events have already been cancelled and qualifying tournaments could follow.
"We are working closely with the Victorian Government on a plan that takes into account the needs of the players, fans, our partners and staff and is of major benefit to the Victorian and Australian economies," Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said. "We are continuing our urgent talks with local health authorities regarding quarantining and bio-security requirements and are confident we will have decisions soon."
He promised a decision within two weeks. It's a challenging situation for everyone involved. While players will get to spend the holidays with their family, they will not have time for a strong warm-up. Let us know below: