Tennis Australia is optimistic that unvaccinated players will be allowed to play at the Australian Open but they will have to go through a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, according to an internal communication.
On Sunday evening the WTA Players Council sent out an email to players detailing what they believe will be the rules for those travelling to the country. In recent weeks there has been doubts over the prospect of players being allowed to play in the Grand Slam if they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 following a health mandate that was implemented by the local government. Minister for Immigration, Alex Hawke, previously said players will need to be double vaccinated to play but Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula later stated that no decision has been made yet.
However, it now appears that all players will be able to participate in the tournament regardless of their status but will be subjected to different restrictions. According to a WTA email sent to provide clarity on the current situation, vaccinated players will be free to do as they wish once they have conducted a COVID-19 test upon arrival. However, unvaccinated players will have to go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine and will be subjected to regular testing.
“We feel the need to reach out to you all to clear up false and misleading information that has recently been spread by other parties about the conditions the players will be forced to endure at next year’s Australian Open,” the WTA statement read.
“Because Victoria’s vaccination rate will hit 80 per cent at the end of the week and 90 per cent next month, it has been confirmed that conditions for players at the Australian Open will improve significantly.
“The conditions for fully vaccinated players are that they can arrive any time after December 1st, must have a negative test within 72 hours of departure, [and] must test within 24 hours of arrival.
“[Players] are not required to quarantine or stay in a bubble, will have no ongoing restrictions imposed on them, [and] will have complete freedom of movement.”
It is understood that the Victorian government has not finalised their rules and it is possible that changes could be made over the coming weeks. A further meeting with Tennis Australia is scheduled for this Friday where tennis’ governing bodies will be trying to seek more clarity on matters such as close contacts.
The Age newspaper has obtained a statement from Tennis Australia who say they hope to hold the tournament ‘as close to pre-pandemic conditions as possible.’ It is also understood that the plan now is for the qualifying tournament to be held in Melbourne Park again instead of the Middle East. This year’s qualifying event was held in Dubai and Doha.
“We are working with the Victorian and federal governments on the conditions for players at Australian Open 2022 and look forward to having the details confirmed soon,” a statement reads.
“Everyone has been buoyed by the easing of restrictions over the past week, along with the Premier’s announcement yesterday [Sunday] that large crowds will be welcomed back to events next year.
“We are optimistic that we can hold the Australian Open as close to pre-pandemic conditions as possible.”
To add to the confusion further, Tennis Australia sources have told The Age they are concerned that local authorities may change their minds and not grant exceptions amid a public backlash. Although there is no concrete information to suggest that this will happen.
The WTA letter first surfaced on social media after it was leaked by journalist Ben Rothenberg who received the communication from an unnamed player. The publication of the letter triggered criticism from two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka who voiced her frustration about a private matter being made public. Azarenka is a member of the WTA Players Council.
“The fact that this was shared to players confidentially and within 2 hours Ben you are posting this. You clearly haven’t read the email. Unless I missed the point that you are a WTA player now?,” she wrote on Twitter.
“I always respect the reporters and what you guys do. Without a doubt However this is not the case here. It’s your duty to report things if they are not reported, but to leak information before it’s officially announced is clickbait.”
Despite the letter there are still some unanswered questions. It is still unclear as to if unvaccinated players will have free movement once they have gone through their 14-day quarantine. There is also no problem information concerning the vaccination rate among players with many wanting to keep it private. So it is unclear as to how many will be affected by the quarantine rule.
The Australian Open is scheduled to start on January 17th.
