Start of Australian Open confirmed

Next year’s first Grand Slam will start from February 8, organisers announce

MELBOURNE:

The Australian Open will start on Feb. 8, three weeks later than scheduled, organisers confirmed on Saturday after months of speculation over the first Grand Slam of 2021.

The start date of the main draw of the tournament was originally slated for Jan. 18 and organisers have been locked in drawn-out negotiations with local government over Covid-19 health security measures.

"This will be an historic Australian Open on so many levels," tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement.

"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 state of Victoria on Saturday recorded a 50th straight day without a case of community transmitted Covid-19 but many health restrictions remain in place in Melbourne and international travel into Australia is still strictly limited.

Victoria's state government said that players would be tested for Covid-19 prior to departure for Australia and a minimum of five times during quarantine, during which they would be able to train for five hours a day.

"From the outset, ensuring players have the best possible preparation for the Australian Open, while at all times protecting the precious Covid-free environment that the Victorian community has built ... over the past six months, has been paramount," Tiley added.

This year's Wimbledon tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the U.S. and French Opens went ahead with the players confined to bio-secure 'bubbles', unable to leave their hotel rooms except to train and play.

Qualifying for the Melbourne Park tournament will take place overseas for the first time -- in Dubai for the women and Doha for the men -- before the players travel to Australia to undergo 14 days of quarantine.

After quarantine there will be men's and women's warm-up events in Melbourne to allow players some match practice before the start of the Grand Slam.

The ATP Tour on Thursday pre-empted Tennis Australia's announcement in releasing an update of its calendar for 2021 revising the first seven weeks of the season.

WTA season to begin in Abu Dhabi

The WTA will kick off its 2021 season in Abu Dhabi from Jan. 5-13 but tournaments in Auckland and Shenzhen will not take place this year, tour organisers said on Saturday as they released their calendar for the first seven weeks of the season.

Australian Open qualifying will take place in Dubai from Jan. 10-13.

Players will then relocate to Melbourne to enter quarantine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open, which will begin on Feb. 8, three weeks later than scheduled.

Following the quarantine period, two WTA 500 tournaments will be held concurrently in Melbourne Park from Jan. 31-Feb. 7 to help players prepare for the first Grand Slam of the season.

A WTA 250 event will also be held in the second week of the Australian Open.

"We are excited to announce the first swing of tournaments representing the opening weeks of the 2021 WTA season, all of which will operate in an environment that puts health and safety at the forefront," WTA Chairman Steve Simon said in a statement.

"We want to express our sincere appreciation for the cooperation between key tennis stakeholders and organizations, along with the local health authorities who have been vital in getting us to this point.

"The hard work will continue as we look further ahead into 2021 to ensure a safe and robust calendar."

In 2020 the WTA had events in Shenzen and Auckland starting on Jan. 6 but those were scrapped for the 2021 season due to travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine. The two tournaments will return to the calendar in 2022.