WTA goal beginning 2021 season on week of January 4 outdoors Australia earlier than gamers would then journey to Melbourne for two-week quarantine interval forward of Australian Open; Tennis Australia proceed talks with native authorities over coronavirus protocols
Final Up to date: 04/12/20 6:46am
Sofia Kenin gained this yr’s Australian Open on the age of 21, turning into the youngest champion in Melbourne since Maria Sharapova in 2008
The WTA is planning to begin the 2021 season within the first week of January outdoors Australia, in line with ladies’s tour chief Steve Simon.
Gamers would then journey to Melbourne for quarantine forward of the Australian Open, which seems more likely to be pushed again from its scheduled January 18 begin.
Tennis Australia (TA) proceed talks with native authorities over coronavirus protocols to be established for Melbourne Park.
Negotiations over when the gamers arrive in Australia and what they are going to be allowed to do throughout their two weeks of quarantine have extended over the previous few weeks however Simon was assured the Australian Open would go forward.
“The Australian Open, we’re anticipating it to occur,” Simon instructed Reuters.
“Clearly the Australian Open will include a quarantine interval to enter Australia so it does create challenges across the month of January.
WTA CEO Steve Simon is assured the season’s opening Grand Slam of the yr will happen
“We’re trying proper now at hopefully near finalising within the subsequent week or so the flexibility to stage some occasions within the week of January 4 to begin the yr.”
Following the quarantine interval in Australia, the tour has deliberate a brief swing in Australia, together with the yr’s first Grand Slam, earlier than returning as intently as doable to its conventional calendar, Simon added.
2:08 Judy Murray is assured Tennis Australia are doing all they will to verify the Australian Open will go forward in 2021.
Usually each the boys’s and girls’s skilled excursions start their seasons in Australia, and in 2020 the WTA had occasions in Brisbane, Shenzen and Auckland beginning on January 6.
Each China and New Zealand, like Australia, have strict well being measures for worldwide arrivals to restrict the chance of imported coronavirus circumstances and it seems the tour must look to different nations to begin the brand new season.
Simon stated the WTA was working with its members and TA to finalise its plans.
“I feel we’re once more attending to a great place and we’ll have the ability to begin the yr after which transition into Australia after which have a fantastic yr,” he added.
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