MELBOURNE: Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley is confident Melbourne Park can welcome almost half a million fans for next year's grand slam, despite the current virus crisis in Victoria.
The 2021 Australian Open could be moved to later in the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Tiley told that organisers are confident of hosting the grand slam in its usual January slot, with full prize money and fans in the stands.
Melbourne is in the midst of a full lockdown after a second spike in COVID-19 cases but Tiley and his team have been working since shortly after the 2020 edition finished to draw up strategies to ensure next year's tournament goes ahead.
Ticket sales will start in October and five "bio-security bubbles" will be opened across the country six weeks before the tournament begins to allow players arriving in Australia to avoid the most restrictive quarantine measures, Tiley said.
"We're going to open our bio bubble from the first of December and players can come at any time," Tennis Australia's (TA) chief executive added in a video call.When the players arrive, our expectation is they're not going to be in a hotel for 14 days like the current requirements are. We'll have an exemption within this bio-security bubble. "We've said every year that we're the 'happy slam'. But now we're saying we're the 'very safe and happy slam.'(Agencies)