Oz Open 2021 at risk: Tennis Australia chief

Next year’s Australian Open could be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and even if the first Grand Slam of 2021 goes ahead, fans from abroad will not be able to attend, Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said on Wednesday.

The tennis season was halted in early March due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Australian Open was able to take place in January as scheduled but the French Open organiser has moved the clay-court major back to September while Wimbledon has been cancelled.

The fate of the US Open in New York is expected to be decided next month. Tennis Australia Chief Executive Tiley said next year’s Australian Open (AO) would not escape the impact of the pandemic.

“Worst-case scenario is no AO,” he told the Australian Associated Press. “Our best-case scenario, at this point, is having an AO with players that we can get in here with quarantining techniques and Australian-only fans.”