The start of the Australian Open 2021, scheduled for January 18, and in general the calendar of the tournaments that would be held earlier in the oceanic country, could be in jeopardy since the date on which international players will be able to arrive in Melbourne to comply with a 14-day quarantine is not yet confirmed. The idea of the ATP was that the tennis players would arrive in mid-December and that on January 1 the ATP Cup will begin in a bubble that would be mounted in Victoria, but the regional government has serious doubts that professional athletes can arrive before January 1, a date considered possible by some media based on the words of the state's prime minister, Daniel Andrews. That way, everything would be delayed, even if the isolation period is shortened to seven days, a possibility is on the table.
The president, however, clarified his statements on Wednesday: “We work very, very closely with Tennis Australia and we are confident that we will end with an Australian Open. It is a very important event, but the plan is not closed. Planning is incredibly complex. It has to be done safely, it has to be done correctly, “he told a news conference. “It is a huge task. There is more work to be done and we are deeply committed to Tennis Australia and its partners to achieve that result,” he added.
The ATP, for its part, issued a statement for the players upon learning of the intentions of the Government of Victoria, and was shared on social media by Slovak player Lukas Lacko: “In conversations with Tennis Australia over the last 24 hours, we were informed that there are some new challenges around pre-planned arrival dates for players and team members “says ATP. “We are continuing to work with Tennis Australia to confirm plans for January, and will provide an update as soon as more information is available in the next few days. We understand that there is uncertainty about the start of the 2021 season and we are working as hard as possible to deliver the best possible schedule of events to the players. “Now everything is up in the air, although nothing is confirmed and the talks will continue in the coming days.
“We are waiting for the ATP to release the calendar. When they decide, we will see. Horacio and I will have to quarantine there, but at least we can train during confinement “, Marcel Granollers said in London.