The signs are growing: Qualification for the Australian Open probably outside of Australia
The qualification for the Australian Open 2021, which should start on February 8 in Melbourne, will probably be played outside Australia. This is reported by the ubitennis portal.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Dec 07, 2020, 09:53 pm
The US Tennis Association was known to have canceled qualification for the US Open last August and offered the players affected compensation, for example with financial support for Challenger tournaments, in which professionals who could not secure a starting place in New York City could participate had. Tennis Australia would now like to go other ways. The idea of holding the qualifying tournament outside of the fifth continent is gaining more and more momentum. The ubitennis portal reports on a document that describes that the open places for the 128 grid for women and men should be played before January 15, 2021. Possibly in the Arab region, such as Dubai or Doha would be an option.
For those who fail to qualify, Tennis Australia would like to reimburse the cost of the Australian visa application. In general, the tournament, which is due to begin in Melbourne on February 8, 2021, subject to the approval of ATP and WTA, will put a massive financial burden on the Australian association. The flights to Melbourne that Tennis Australia would like to pay the successful qualifiers are of little consequence. The cost of the bladder in which the tennis professionals are to be housed is estimated at 100 million Australian dollars. The association's reserves are said to be only around 80 million.
In total, the Australian government will allow 1,000 tennis-related people into the country, which has been strictly cordoned off for months. This means that the players, as in New York City, are asked to travel with the smallest possible staff.
A major difference to the US Open 2020 will however be a pleasant one: Tournament boss Craig Tiley only spoke a few days ago that the event should be in front of a "significant" number of spectators. New York City was still played behind closed doors. At the French Open at the end of September 2020, a maximum of 1,000 fans were allowed per day. Which nevertheless created a good atmosphere.