Australian Open: Nadal, Federer and Djokovic make travel commitments
In the planning for the Australian Open 2021, all top players have promised their participation - only the 14-day quarantine requirement would still have to be overcome. There are more problems with the ATP Cup.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Nov 05, 2020, 08:06 am
Rafael Nadal had already made it quite unmistakably clear at his opening press conference at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris Bercy: He will be expected at the Australian Open, which will open the Grand Slam season in January 2021. Roger Federer also communicates quite aggressively that he is planning his sporting comeback with the Major Down Under. Only last year's winner Novak Djokovic had cast some doubts in the run-up to the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The reason for this is the restrictive entry regulations in Australia, according to which all travelers have to go through a 14-day quarantine. A provision that the Tennis Australia team has been trying to defuse for weeks, at least tennis training should be allowed to the players during this time. As the head of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley, now explained, all the top 100 players in the men’s and women’s category have sent a travel confirmation form, which is required to apply for visas.
At the same time, Tiley emphasizes that the players are definitely planning that the current quarantine regulations should fall by then: "Everyone has expressed the desire to travel. If we announce tomorrow that they will have to be quarantined for 28 days or 14 days in have to sit in a hotel room, that will change. " At the current stage, however, we can look forward to a very substantial field of participants Down Under.
ATP Cup only in one city?
According to Tiley, another central factor in addition to the quarantine regulation is the domestic freedom of travel, which is still severely restricted in Australia in the fight against COVID-19. This would be essential for the ATP Cup to take place as planned, as it will be held in three Australian cities. "We need some government assurances that we can travel freely from state to state, which we still don't have as some borders are closed," said Tiley.
At the same time, the time is now getting tighter, an assurance for the ATP Cup is needed in a few days, as the head of Tennis Australia emphasizes: "By the end of next week, or maybe a week after, we will have to go to an event, which only takes place in one city. At the moment I'd say it's 50:50. "