The Australian Open should begin in Melbourne in two weeks. But numerous professionals are still in strict quarantine. To make it easier for them to get started, there are now new plans for the week before the first Grand Slam tournament.
After her ordered quarantine, she gets a little more game practice: Angelique Kerber.
Angelique Kerber has already passed the first week of the corona quarantine. Because there was a positive Corona case on her flight to Australia, the German number one is not allowed to leave her hotel room. It was “frustrating” not to be able to do anything after the strenuous preparation, said the three-time Grand Slam tournament winner in the ZDF’s “heute Journal”. However, in times of the pandemic there are also more important things, “sport has to take second place here,” said Kerber understandingly.
In order to make it easier for Kerber and the other players who are still in quarantine to re-enter after the 14-day tennis break, the organizers of the Australian Open have now adjusted the planning for the week before the first Grand Slam tournament. In the run-up to the Australian Open, there will be another tournament exclusively for those players who are currently unable to train due to the strict quarantine rules.
“This is a particularly difficult situation for the pros who are in tough lockdown and we are doing everything we can to help them,” said tournament director Craig Tiley. Those affected should also receive preferential treatment in the days before the start of the Australian Open when training places are allocated.
A total of three tournaments for women and two tournaments as well as the ATP Cup for men will take place before the Australian Open. All events are held in Melbourne Park. Due to the new tournament schedule before the Australian Open, the start of the men’s ATP Cup will also be postponed by one day to February 2nd.
The German team around Alexander Zverev will meet defending champion Serbia with world number one Novak Djokovic and Canada at the ATP Cup. Unlike Kerber, Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff and the two French Open winners Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies are among the professionals who are allowed to interrupt their quarantine for five hours of training a day. Which is especially an advantage to get used to the heat in Australia.
