Australian Open 2021 probably without international fans
The first Grand Slam tournament in 2021 will probably take place without spectators from outside of Oceania. This was indicated by the tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jul 27, 2020, 04:51 pm
The Australian Open is not just a “happy slam” for players. Journalists and fans who accompanied or visited the first major of the year on site often report the relaxed atmosphere that normally prevails in Melbourne (even in special situations such as in early 2020, when Australia was hit by bad bush fires).
More than 100,000 international tennis fans attended the Australian Open earlier this year, witnessing Novak Djokovic's eighth and Sofia Kenin s first triumph at the Rod Laver Arena. This scenario is almost impossible, according to Craig Tiley, powerful boss of Tennis Australia and at the same time tournament director of the Australian Open.
US Open and French Open as test balloons
"We made this decision in a number of ways this week," Tiley told the Associated Press. “We will not match last year's figures when we had a total of 821,000 spectators on the facility. Our fans will be from Melbourne and Victoria State, including other states, and possibly from New Zealand if the border restrictions are lifted there. But the 15 percent from other regions will probably not be here. ”
Special attention also goes to the most important players, the players. To this end, Tennis Australia is monitoring the developments at the US Open (planned start: August 31, 2020) and the French Open (September 27, 2020). “Both test mandatory tests, different levels of quarantine and a limited number of accompanying persons. Of course, we're looking at all of these options, and more, as part of our planning scenario. If conditions improve, and the US Open and French Open go well, that will boost players' confidence and help us here in Melbourne next year. ”