"Very safe and happy slam": Australian Open 2021 plan with 5 bubbles
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley and his team are already planning for the coming year - and are optimistic.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Aug 12, 2020, 09:53 am
With five "bio-safe bubbles" one wants to make the Australian Open 2021 corona-safe and bypass the quarantine requirements for the most part. "We're opening our bio-bubble on December 1st, so players can come whenever they want, " tournament director Craig Tiley told the Australian theage.com.au .
"When the players arrive, we assume that they don't have to stay in a hotel for 14 days, as the current regulations require. We get an exception within the framework of the bio-bubble."
You say every year that you are the "Happy Slam". "Now we say: 'We are the' very safe and happy slam '", Tiley continued.
There are currently five scenarios around the Australian Open 2020. The first possibility: more or less a tournament like this one this year. Option two: with only half of the audience. Another alternative would be a fanless tournament that would only be shown on TV. Another thought is to change the time. Or: not to let the Australian Open take place at all.
Australian Open: "Optimistic for Melbourne"
But Tiley assumes that 400,000 spectators could come to Melbourne Park, half as many as this year. There is a corresponding plan of how the fans can move around the facility. Should you still have to consider a postponement, you want to discuss this with the tour - in contrast to the French Open. The periods March / April or September / October would be suitable for this, the months May / June / July are out due to the Australian winter.
It was recently announced that Tennis Australia was considering only allowing Australian fans on site. There was also speculation about a venue in Sydney, where the Australian Open last took place in 1971.
"I am optimistic that we will have a tournament and that it will take place in Melbourne," said Tiley.
The 71 million Australian dollars in prize money are to be kept, even if one will lose a double-digit percentage of income.
The prize money of 71 million Australian dollars is to be kept.