Organizers of 2021 Australian Open has said, the tournament could be moved to later in the year as a result of the global pandemic. While speaking in an interview Craig Tiley, the tournament director said organizers are still positive of staging the Grand Slam in its usual traditional January date, with its full prize money and fans in the stadium.
Melbourne, the host city is one of the most affected cities in Australia, which has seen an increase in positive cases. TA Tennis Australia said they have been working tirelessly to draw up contingency plans to ensure the success of next year’s event.
Tickets sales will commence in October, while five bio-secure bubbles will be opened across the country, six weeks before the start of the championship to avoid strict quarantine measures for players coming into the country.
Tiley said they had considered different scenarios, from hosting the tournament in its normal format, behind closed doors, or to no tournament at all. Tiley said global experts have been employed to help set up the bio-security bubbles and testing facilities, which will allow players to adjust and train for the grand slam event.
The tournament which has been held in Melbourne since 1972 is Australia’s biggest sporting event, and the primary source of revenue for Tennis Australia. It was reported that the 2020 edition had an economic impact of 387 million Australian dollars.
