The effect of the coronavirus in sports would be felt beyond this year as one of the events it could affect in 2021 is the Australia Open. The Australian Open, which is the first grand slam of the year, starts around mid-January but with the current quarantine restrictions in Australia, it may be delayed for a while. This year, the French Open had to be delayed by four months and the Wimbledon Open had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
The current rules in Australia give way to a mandatory two-week period of quarantine. This means that any player that would be a part of the tournament would have to arrive at least two weeks before the event. But that still raises another problem as the players would not have the chance and freedom to train during the period of quarantine.
The sports minister for the state of Victoria, Martin Pakula was the one who hinted that the tournament could “likely to be delayed by a week or two,” adding that the delay was more likely to be shorter rather than longer as in the case of the French Open.
He further stated that the nature of the quarantine for players and had not been decided and that there were still discussions with relevant bodies to know the way forward; “The exact nature of that quarantine, whether or not it’s their own bubble, or something more common, is still part of those conversations. The quarantine requirements will be those that are ultimately agreed with the public health authorities and then it will be a matter for the ATP and the WTA about whether or not they are acceptable.”
Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said that his organisation was doing everything to make sure that the tournament holds without any issues; “Our intention is to deliver a summer in conditions that allow the players to prepare and perform at their best and the fans to enjoy their efforts – all in an environment that is safe for all concerned. We are continuing our urgent talks with local health authorities regarding quarantining and bio-security requirements and are confident we will have decisions soon.”
Written by: Leon Osamor
