Djokovic, Nadal, Thiem - show tournament after quarantine in Adelaide
If it goes according to the plans of Tennis Australia, then the three currently best professionals for women and men in Adelaide should go into quarantine. And do an exhibition match before continuing to Melbourne. That would affect Novak Djokovic , Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal .
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jan 08, 2021, 10:15 am
The capacities for the quarantine of the tennis professionals before the Australian Open in Melbourne are full. Which is why Craig Tiley, Head of Tennis Australia, has gotten going again. And the Prime Minister of South Australia, Steven Marshall, has met open ears. If Tiley has his way, then the three top-ranked players among women and men should spend their quarantine in Adelaide. And then hold a two-day exhibition match there, the proceeds of which should benefit the region. For women, this would affect local hero Ashleigh Barty , Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka , for men, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem. Who will also contest the ATP Cup in Melbourne before the Australian Open.
A few days ago, Wolfgang Thiem had already confirmed to tennisnet that the Adelaide option was in the room. However, the official announcement will probably only be made this Friday. "If there is an exhibition, Dominic will definitely take part."
"We approached the South Australia government to see if they could quarantine at least 50 people," said Craig Tiley. "But they weren't interested because they wouldn't have benefited from putting their people at risk if the players had then traveled straight to Melbourne."
Djokovic, Thiem, Nadal - all finalists of the Australian Open 2019 and 2020 at the start
Hence the idea of the exhibition match, which should take place on January 29th and 30th. The prerequisites for this in Adelaide are in place. "We think this is a great opportunity to get started ahead of the season. This state and city have just invested A $ 44 million in building a new stadium, so it's a nice way to say thank you."
Especially since with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem the finalists of the past two years at the Australian Open would be at the start. And for women with Naomi Osaka, the reigning US Open winner, who won in Melbourne in 2019. For the players themselves, it would also be a first opportunity to determine their position in 2021.