Australian Open - February 1st as the likely start date
More and more signs indicate that the first Grand Slam tournament of the coming season will start in Melbourne on February 1, 2021. This is what several Australian news outlets report.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Nov 26, 2020, 09:24 pm
Barbara Schett celebrated the end of her quarantine with a liberating run into the Australian sea. The former top ten player and now TV expert had to stay in a hotel for 14 days after arriving in her adopted home. Without the opportunity to do sports outdoors. This is exactly what the players who intend to take part in the Australian Open 2021 could still do, the website TheAge.com reported on Thursday. Because the persuasion work of Craig Tiley, the boss of the major in Melbourne, has not yet produced any countable fruits.
After all: February 1, 2021 is cited in various media as the most likely date for the start of the Open. In what condition the tennis professionals will compete is still in the stars. A full 14-day physical lockdown may not be an option for most athletes. Daniil Medvedev had already explained this after his victory at the ATP Finals: Going into a best-of-five tournament without preparation would raise the risk of injury to a level that is not justifiable.
Local hero John Millman sees it similarly. "I don't think the international players would do that," Millman was quoted as saying on TheAge.com. "Your body pays your bills. You run the risk of injury. You can't go from zero to a hundred right away."
Of course, the people in charge at Tennis Australia also know that, and they also have to think about the ATP Cup, which was supposed to open the season, and various preparatory tournaments in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, etc. Because even if the players were allowed to practice during the quarantine - to go to a major without any match practice, that would be something of a lottery.