Australian Open 2021: Why is the tournament in chaos and why is there a Covid backlash...

[ASFN Admin]

The Australian Open is due to take place from February 8 in Melbourne. There has been a large logistical operation to comply with Australia's strict coronavirus regulations which has resulted in players being put into quarantine in hotels for 14 days. How did it all unfold and what has the reaction been? Why has there been such a backlash to tennis players arriving in Australia? To understand how we got to the stage where a local Australian politician was blasting former champion Stan Wawrinka as an example of the "double standards" in play for tennis, one must understand the way Melbourne and the rest of the country has dealt with this pandemic. On Monday, Australia recorded just 19 new cases of coronavirus and has had fewer than 1,000 deaths throughout the entire pandemic. A combination of closing borders early, mandatory hotel quarantine for those who did manage to arrive, plus restrictions on travel between states and tough lockdowns – Melbourne was essentially closed from July until October – has meant the country has emerged from 2020 as one of those least scarred by coronavirus. Novak Djokovic has once again showcased his talent for striking the wrong tone The sacrifice the Australian public endured for months is why there appeared to be little sympathy on social media for players complaining about being forced to isolate for two weeks ahead of the tournament. What are the protocols for travel to the tournament? To convince the government they could hold the tournament safely, 17 chartered flights – 15 to Melbourne, and two to Adelaide – with 1,200 players and their limited entourages on board were arranged, with all travellers retested by the tournament organisers when they landed and tested every day thereafter for two weeks. During that time, they have to adhere to "modified" isolation rules which allow them to train on court for five hours a day and form bubbles with hitting partners. So why are players now locked in hotel rooms? The players currently having to find ingenious ways of using their hotels as practice courts happened to be on flights where a passenger tested positive. Positive tests were recorded on four of the chartered flights last week, meaning that a total of 72 players plus members of their teams are now in strict quarantine for 14 days.

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