Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he is confident the 2021 Australian Open will proceed but it remains to be seen how many international stars will compete as confusion reigns over quarantine requirements.
Key points:
- Tennis Australia wants players to begin arriving in Melbourne in mid-December to enter a two-week isolation period
- Mr Andrews said the Victorian Government was working “very, very closely” with Tennis Australia
- The ATP issued a memo to its players saying there was uncertainty surrounding when players could arrive in Melbourne
Tennis Australia (TA) has been sweating for months on the Victorian and Australian governments allowing players to quarantine in a special training hub with their restricted entourages in Melbourne from mid-December.
That would allow the traditional lead-up events, including the multi-city ATP Cup, to be shifted from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to Melbourne while some state borders remain closed.
But on Monday, Mr Andrews said TA’s plan was “not a done deal” ahead of the Australian Open, which is scheduled to be staged from January 18 to 31 at Melbourne Park.
He backed up his comments on Wednesday, saying negotiations and planning were “incredibly complex”.
“It has to be done safely, it has to be done properly,” Mr Andrews told a media conference.
“We are working very, very closely with Tennis Australia. They are working [with] all of their partners and we’re confident that we’ll finish up with an Australian Open. It’s a very important event.
“It’s a massive task. There is more work that has to be done and we’re deeply engaged with Tennis Australia and others to get that outcome.”
Mr Andrews’s comments on Monday prompted the ATP — the governing body of men’s tennis — to issue a memo to its players overnight.
The memo, which was shared on Twitter by Slovakian professional Lukas Lacko, highlighted the ATP’s concern about when players would be able to arrive in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
“In discussions with Tennis Australia over the past 24 hours, we have been informed there are some new challenges around the previously planned arrival dates for players and team members,” the ATP said.
“We continue to work with Tennis Australia on confirming plans for January, and we will provide an update as soon as more information is available in the coming days.
“We understand there is uncertainty about the start of the 2021 season, and we are working as hard as possible to deliver the best possible calendar of events to players.”
AAP/ABC
