As the days pass, more details are revealed about the strict quarantine protocols that tennis players must carry out before the start of the Australian Open, that despite not being officially confirmed, everything indicates that it will be next February 8. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, Tennis Australia will subject players coming from what they consider to be the 'red zone' (non-residents of Australia or New Zealand) to a severe quarantine upon arrival in Melbourne. In a last open letter from the organization of the event the last details have been exposed:
-Travel and dates: the organizers establish charter flights from Dubai, Los Angeles and Singapore, the ticket of which will be paid by Tennis Australia for the player and a companion. If you get a class higher than economy, the extra charge will be assumed by the tennis player. The trips will be on January 15 and 16.
-Accommodation: The organization will not allow players and members of its coaching staff to settle in other places outside the quarantine or private homes. Tennis players will only be able to leave the hotel for five hours a day, divided as follows: two hours on the court to train, two in the gym and one for lunch at the tournament restaurant.
-Test: Each person arriving in Melbourne must undergo a PCR test 48 hours before the flight, in addition to the following days after their arrival: 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14, the last day on which they will comply with the quarantine. In the event that a tennis player tests positive before the tournament, they will receive a cash prize of 50% corresponding to the winning of the first round.
-Masks: The use of a mask will be mandatory for each person in the tournament, whether a player or staff, except for the times when they are in the hotel rooms, during meals, training sessions and matches.