Australia Open 2021 to be held in February

Singles, doubles and wheelchair competitions will all be played as usual after agreement was reached to stage the event following eight months of talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities

Melbourne: Players will compete for Aus$71 million (US$54 million) at next year’s Australian Open, tournament chief Craig Tiley said Saturday, confirming the Grand Slam will begin three weeks late and players must undergo quarantine.

Singles, doubles and wheelchair competitions will all be played as usual after agreement was reached to stage the event following eight months of talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities in Melbourne.

But the men’s and women’s qualifiers will be held in Doha and Dubai respectively from January 10-13 while the junior championships have been postponed until later in the year. “This will be an historic Australian Open on so many levels,” tournament director Tiley said in confirming the February 8-21 dates revealed by the ATP Tour last week.

“For the first time in more than 100 years, the Australian Open will start in February and we look forward to offering the players what we believe will be one of their best playing experiences in 2021.”

The tournament was originally due to begin on January 18 and players will now arrive in Australia from January 15 to serve two weeks of mandatory quarantine in a bio-secure bubble, many of them coming from countries where the pandemic is still raging.

They are expected to stay at designated hotels but will reportedly be allowed to practise and exercise for up to five hours a day, shuttled between their accommodation and Melbourne Park, where the tournament is held.