'Roger Federer and Nadal are on 20 grand slams each and...', says AO boss

As the very strange 2020 season draws to a close, preparations are already underway for the start of 2021. Given the particular circumstances in which towards the whole world due to the Coronavirus emergency, the tournaments are obliged to take additional precautions to allow the carrying out the various events in complete safety. The first big event will be the Australian Open, scheduled in Melbourne in January, despite the complex situation linked to the quarantine. The organizers of the Happy Slam are confident they can count on all the best players, waiting to see if the preparation appointments such as the ATP Cup can be played. Roger Federer and Serena Williams will be the two most anticipated players at Melbourne Park: the Swiss will make her comeback after almost a year, while the American will try to match Margaret Court's record. In a long interview with The Herald, AO director Craig Tiley seemed confident about the success of the next edition.

Tiley on the 2021 Australian Open

Tournament Director Craig Tiley expressed his delight over the proposed playing field for the 2021 Australian Open. “The current presentation we made to the players … has been very positive in the sense they have all signed up. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are on 20 grand slams each, you have Serena Williams wanting to break Margaret Court’s record and you have Ash [Barty] trying to keep her No.1 ranking. As far as player participation is concerned, we are in great shape,” Tiley said to The Herald. But one thing that is making the players hesitant from playing Australia are the uncertain quarantine rules. The quarantine period hasn’t been decided yet, and Craig Tiley is also aware that some players could change their stance when the rules are announced. Tiley said, “Everyone has indicated a desire to travel. If we announce tomorrow that they have to quarantine for 28 days or that they have to sit in a hotel room for 14 days, that will change.” Speaking about whether the ATP Cup would happen or be postponed, Tiley said, “We’ve said for us to make that decision there are two conditions we need. Condition one is that we need our quarantining plans approved. Condition two is we need to have some assurances from the government that we’ll be able to travel freely from state to state, which we still don’t have as you can appreciate with some borders closed.”

 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2JwU3Lm