COVID-safe rules for Australian Open unveiled New details have emerged of the plan to keep fans safe at the Australian Open - these are the COVID-safe rules fans you’ll have to follow.
Tennis by PETER ROLFE
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Subscriber only Spare seats will buffer groups of fans at the Australian Open as tennis chiefs serve up the biggest sporting event staged before spectators in the coronavirus era. With fewer tickets than ever for Victoria s tennis showpiece, organisers expect several days to sell out and have created strict rules for fans and players to ensure the event is COVID-safe. Players will be urged to tap racquets rather than high five and wear face shields in private areas off-court when the event begins on Monday.
Just like everything else over the past year, the Australian Open 2021 is looking a little different from usual. Yes, there will be many a tennis match, which is arguably the biggest drawcard, but there are some definite changes you’ll want to know about before you book your seat.
For starters, the capacity for each arena has been dropped, which basically means everyone will have some extra space while watching the action go down in the arenas. Second, the precinct has been divided into three ‘zones’ and that’s the thing you need to keep in mind when booking.
Basically, you’ll buy a ticket for one of The Zones and this will determine where you sit, eat, drink, and soak up the ~vibes~. Each one of The Zones has a different flavour, so it’s important to know whether you’ll be ordering fried chicken burgers or sushi, watching the players warm-up (or not), and what live music you’ll be chilling out to.
Author
Tennis Australia
The Australian Open lead-in week has been revamped to help give the 72 players in the 14-day quarantine lockdown the best possible preparation and training opportunities.
Following extensive consultation between the players and the Tours, Tennis Australia has designed a new schedule, taking into account the limited time many players have had to prepare.
There will now be three WTA 500 events - the two originally planned from Sunday 31 January to Saturday 6 February, with slightly reduced draw sizes. A third event, for those players who’ve been unable to train, will commence on Wednesday 3 and finish on Sunday 7 February.