On February 8, the Australian Open is scheduled to start in Melbourne. Even as we approach the start of the first Grand Slam of 2021, COVID-19 is playing havoc with preparations.
Let’s take a look at some of the latest news updates as you consider whether or not to include this tournament in your Australian Open betting for next month.
Tennis News: 2021 Australian Open Updates
Simona Halep, the #2 player in the world, has recovered from her case of COVID-19 and is now preparing to win her first Grand Slam title down under. She faces Aussie Ash Barty, the world’s top-ranked player, in an exhibition on Friday. Halep won two tournaments in 2020, at one point winning 17 consecutive matches, but when she tested positive for COVID-19 in October, her season ended. Her symptoms were mild, and she has no ongoing issues. Tests on her lungs have shown no long-term damage. The 14-day hard quarantine for tournament participants has not dented her preparation for the tournament.
Dyana Yastremska, of Ukraine, has lodged an appeal with the Court for Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to get into the Australian Open. She received a provisional suspension earlier in January for testing positive to a banned substance in a sample taken out of competition. Then she showed up on a video of a Tennis Australia charter flight to Melbourne in spite of that ban. She was denied by the International Tennis Federation in her first attempt to get rid of the provisional suspension, and then she appealed to the CAS, the highest court in the world for matters involving sport. It will deliver a decision by February 3.
Serena Williams does not face the hard lockdown that some of her colleagues in the tournament have faced. She has five hours of time outside her hotel that she has used to prepare for the tournament. She has her three-year-old daughter with her, so she definitely has her hands full as she readies for 2021’s first major. The benefit of being able to walk around without worry after the hard quarantine has motivated many players to embrace the strict period.
Paula Badosa is experiencing some of the less pleasant end of the quarantine spectrum. She tested positive for COVID-19 after getting to Australia and must stay in her hotel room until January 31. If the COVID-19 she has turns out to be the South African or UK variants, which are more highly spreadable, then she would have to stay in hotel quarantine until February 5, with just three days to get ready for the Australian Open. Badosa has lamented the lack of training equipment that she has requested, along with the fact that her room has no windows. She is also reporting that her fitness levels have deteriorated significantly while in quarantine.
Defending champion Sofia Kenin is back after her three-set victory over Garbine Muguruza. Ranked fourth in the world, she acknowledges the difficulties of maintaining momentum after so many tournaments in 2020 were canceled due to COVID-19, but she also recognizes that 2021 is a new year, with new opportunities. She has been able to train outside for up to five hours per day, and she made it to the quarterfinals of her last tournament in Abu Dhabi. It will be interesting to see how things go for her once the major begins.
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