Dubai: The women’s qualifiers of the 2021 Australian Open, to be held in Dubai next month, will feature at least 40 per cent attendance of spectators.
Salah Tahlak, Tournament Director of the annual Dubai Tennis Championships, who is also part of the core team handling the organisation of the qualifiers at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium from January 10-13, assured that they have been working to ensure spectators are allowed to attend the four days of qualifying matches.
The 2021 Australian Open will feature singles, doubles and wheelchair competitions. The qualifying rounds for men will be held in Doha on the same dates while the Junior Championships have been postponed until later in the year.
“For the first time-ever, Abu Dhabi will be hosting a WTA-500 competition and this is going to be a huge step for tennis, not just in the UAE but also for the region,” Tahlak told Gulf News.
These two back-to-back events are surely going to lend a good, positive start to 2021 especially after these tough times that the world had gone through
“These two back-to-back events are surely going to lend a good, positive start to 2021 especially after these tough times that the world had gone through. These two events are definitely going to bring in fresh and positive energy, not just to the UAE, but to the entire tennis fraternity,” he added.
“As of now, the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management have been working closely with Dubai and Abu Dhabi to allow at least 40 per cent attendance at both tournaments,” he insisted.
“Everyone involved is aware of the importance of these events and the responsibility that goes along. We will ensure that all Covid protocols are adhered to and there will certainly be no compromise on the health aspects of anyone involved with the competitions,” Tahlak stressed.
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At the end of the qualifiers, players from both events will travel to Melbourne to follow the mandatory two-week quarantine period prior to the start of year’s first slam.As per the tentative calendars announced for the first seven weeks by the WTA and ATP, the men’s season will take off with the ATP 250 Delray Beach Open alongside a new single-year ATP 250 license on hard court in Antalya, Turkey.
The controlled environment quarantine period will enable players to prepare ahead of the 12-team ATP Cup in Melbourne from February 1-5, alongside the relocated Adelaide International and an additional ATP 250 tournament from January 31 to February 6, all to be held in Melbourne itself.
The success of tennis’s other majors during the height of the coronavirus pandemic this year has provided valuable lessons for Tennis Australia in how to manage a tournament with bio security protocols. The US Open was successfully completed with just two positive COVID-19 tests while the French Open returned 10 positive cases.
The Australian Open 2021 is expected to have at least 50 per cent capacity crowds and Tournament Director Craig Tiley said other protocols have been adopted from around the world to ensure everyone is safe. Scheduled to take place at Melbourne Park from February 8 to 21, tickets for the Australian Open are scheduled to go on sale from Wednesday (December 23).
Players will compete for more than $80 million (Dhs 293.5 million) in prize money during their time in Australia, with the Australian Open total prize pool remaining at the 2020 level of $71.5 million. Players exiting in the first round of the Australian Open will take home $100,000, up 15 per cent from 2020.