Players secure permission to practice in quarantine ahead of Aussie Open

Players competing at the Australian Open have secured permission to practice during their compulsory 14-day quarantine after arrving in the country.

The move, reported the Age newspaper in Melbourne, will now likely see the event begin two weeks later than planned on February 1, with players arriving in Australia at the end of the first week of 2021.

Players would still have to adhere to the strict quarantine rules in every other sense as details of the hotel/training bubble are being established.

The Age said ATP and WTA officials were told today of the development, and were also told there would be restrictions on how many support staff they could bring with them.

That number could be as low as two per player.

It was hoped an announcement could be made today but sources said there was still more detail to be worked through, including finalising the start date, believed now to be February 1.

The State of Victoria recorded 28 consecutive days of no new coronavirus cases today.

Peter Rowe

Recent Posts

Cramping Medvedev squeezes to tight clay win

Daniil Medvedev began the fight-back into his accustomed elite ATP status with a struggling 7-5,…

13 hours ago

Stan stunned by Chilean outsider

Former champion Stan Wawrinka let a third-set lead slip as the three-time Grand Slam winner…

17 hours ago

Tennis for Djoko is now a balancing act

Novak Djokovic admitted on Sunday that he is carrying muted expectations as the Monte Carlo…

22 hours ago

Sinner stewing as return to tennis draws near

Jannik Sinner has broken his silence as the end of his three-month ban from tennis…

22 hours ago

Eventual career end a touchy topic for Novak

With his 38th birthday in little over a month, Novak Djokovic is understandably thinking of…

1 day ago

Alcaraz puts No. 1 dream to the side for now

Carlos Alcaraz is much more concerned with winning his first career match at the Monte Carlo…

1 day ago